The First Instinct
by Radar1388
Summary: He regenerated in front of her. He regenerated because of her. That's bound to leave a mark. Imprinting was involuntary. And soon, Rose is faced with an interesting choice. A sort of rewrite of Series 2 through Series 4. Ideas and constructive criticism are always welcome.
1. The Christmas Invasion - Part 1

_* This is going to be a sort of rewrite of Series 2 through at least Series 4. Throughout the story, if anyone has any ideas or constructive criticism, I'm all ears. **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything._

Chapter 1 - The Christmas Invasion Part 1

He was the most powerful Time Lord in the universe. He was the _only_ Time Lord in the universe.

Also, given that he was the only one with a TARDIS, the only one able to see timelines, the only one with a plan most of the time, wouldn't that also make him the most powerful _being_ in existence? Nothing in this universe or any other should have the ability to bring him to his knees.

Except passing out after a regeneration.

To be fair, he was doing quite well, despite having taken in the heart of the TARDIS to save his companion. Exhaustion was to be expected, if, of course, just a bit humbling. He despised feeling helpless as his unconscious form was hauled to Jackie's flat, but he convinced himself for the moment to temper this seemingly new kind of ego. The Daleks had been defeated once more, and while that was a huge victory in and of itself, nothing compared to knowing that she was safe.

His brave, beautiful, jeopardy-friendly, pink and yellow human wasn't just safe; she saved the entirety of the universe. All _he_ did was save _her_.

Not only was she alive, but she seemed to genuinely be okay, too.

Even in a deep sleep, he still had some awareness, able to pick out certain voices around him. He shouldn't be able to hear anything at all with how knackered he was, but he chalked that up to a combination of the overall mysteriousness of regeneration and, of course, superior Time Lord biology. However, it was odd that out of all the talking, confusion, and doting that was happening around him, only one voice was actually clear compared to everything else.

He could hear Jackie and the idiot boyfriend fairly well, but it depended on how close they were to his bedside and even then they sounded pretty muffled. He couldn't always quite hear them, but he could make inferences through his companion's side of the conversations. Her voice was startlingly clear. In fact, it seemed that no matter where she was in the flat, he could always hear her. Which made things very easy, for her voice was the only one he cared to seek out.

Aside from her voice being heavy with confusion, she sounded no worse for wear. He never doubted his ability to take the heart from her, but he was still incredibly relieved that she didn't seem like she was suffering from any kind of side-effect. Not that there should be, but she did harness all of time and space briefly...he would have to run some tests later on both of them to be sure-

He writhed on the bed for only a second before he felt regeneration energy pass from his lips. She was somewhere on the bed with him, using what felt like a stethoscope to check his hearts. She was looking after him. At this, he felt warmth spread all through him. Suddenly, she moved off the bed and the flat fell into a peaceful silence. It was the first bout of silence he'd had since regenerating into this form. It was downright unnerving not being able to hear her, though he knew she was safe.

His subconscious was clinging to her presence when he should be resting. He wasn't going to wake up otherwise. So, reluctantly, with the self-reassurance that she was somewhere near, he allowed himself to completely nod off.

* * *

He still had his eyes closed, but he was wrenched from a dreamless sleep. The flat sounded like it was whirring madly. Screams and chaos, destruction this way and that. He tensed. One of the cries belonged to his companion, and he was laying there like a useless lump! The door to the bedroom swung open, then slammed close. Everyone was in the room with him now, a panicked energy coming from all sides.

He heard glass, plaster, and then wood being obliterated, and the screams of Jackie and Mickey stabbed at his ear drums. Something was attacking them and it was coming closer and closer. His hearts were frantic. Where was she? Why couldn't he hear her anymore?

As if in response, he felt her hand curled around his own for the briefest of moments and he was instantly relieved. Then, her fingers were replaced by a familiar metallic device, and her hand left him altogether. This jarred him, so much so that any muffled sounds were starting to become clearer, the darkness of his unconsciousness brightened, and other senses began returning to him. He was waking up.

"Help me." Her words were barely above a whisper, but the fear behind them rang loud and clear.

He clenched the sonic screwdriver in an iron grip and bolted upright, aiming at…a homicidal Christmas tree. Well…they've seen weirder. Without hesitation, he set the sonic to a dismantling setting, and the tree immediately short circuited and fell apart. He didn't budge from his position, even though his companion sighed with relief from behind him. He refused to move away from her until their assailant had completely ceased movement.

Once it had stopped, he sprung from the bed ready to investigate, to figure out who was controlling the tree. He found Roboforms dressed as Santas…Still not the wierdest. He raised the sonic at them, daring them to make another move. He was more than ready to protect her – er, them. He only relaxed when the Roboforms teleported away, but to where?

He didn't have much time to relax as more regeneration energy tore from his mouth. He collapsed on the balcony, his entire being feeling like it was being ripped and crushed and burned all at the same time. He had awakened to soon, and now he was in a coma.

* * *

At first, he thought she had given up on him. She pretty much dumped him onto the TARDIS grating and left him there. However, as he fought the Sycorax leader, he stole a glance at her almost every chance he could, not only to keep her in his line of vision should this fight go wrong, but also silently asking her what she was thinking. And when she passed him another sword and smiled brightly at him, that's when it occurred to him.

She hadn't given up on him, that is, the previous him, but she had given up on _this_ him. That thought really shouldn't have been in any way positive, but he really should've told her about regeneration. She had no idea who he now was. _He_ had no idea who he now was. It only made sense that she was skeptical and didn't quite have a connection with him. Yet, he most certainly still had a connection with her. In fact, it was quite a strong one, too. He even tried to coax her into some light bantering after he won the swordfight.

When they touched back down to Earth, after he tersely dealt with the Prime Minister, Jackie had invited everyone to Christmas dinner. As upsetting as the destruction of the Sycorax ship was, they all still agreed that some sort of celebration was in order after the world had been saved yet again. He definitely noticed how Jackie was looking at everyone more than him when she made the invite. It was the assumption that he wasn't going to do anything so domestic.

They all walked back to the Powell Estate to prepare dinner. Everyone except him passed by the TARDIS. His smile was fond, but he still scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He opened a blue door. Even if he wasn't invited, he still needed to get out of the jimjams.

"Aren't you staying?" The voice, the one that he found he was unable to ignore, stopped him completely. He poked his head out from the doorway to look at her. She stood a couple feet from him, her lower lip bitten between her teeth, eyes full of uncertainty.

He swallowed, at a loss for words. "Well, it's just…well, I didn't think your mum…" He paused. "It is her home, after all."

She blinked. "She invited you, didn't you hear?" He shrugged. She crossed her arms loosely. "Well, you can come, if you like. I know it's not something you normally do-"

"Do you want me to come?"

She gave an amused half-smile. "Course I do, that's why I'm asking."

"Right." Why wasn't he able to find the appropriate words? He had one hell of a gob less than an hour ago. He shook his head. "I just have to pop off to the wardrobe room." He glanced down at his attire. "I'm guessing Howard'll want these back."

She giggled. "You know, I thought the same thing at some point, but then mum told me with everything that's happened today you probably ought to keep 'em." Her gaze swept over him, and he couldn't help the foreign feeling of self-consciousness. "You don't think it suits you," she asked with another cheekier giggle.

He scoffed with a light grin. "Oh yes, Daleks and Slitheens will certainly be running scared when they see me wearing this."

She too gave a grin. "Maybe not, then. Anyway, see you at dinner!" And she sauntered away, not seeing the widening smile on his face.

With one more look in her direction, he closed the door and sprinted to the wardrobe room with newfound elation.

* * *

He opened the door to Jackie's flat and peered inside before stepping in. When her eyes landed on him, on his pinstripes and long coat, she couldn't help the wide welcoming grin that spread across her features. To him, her happiness was absolutely infectious and his own smile threatened to split his face.

He only took a couple more steps forward before Jackie's delighted squeal pierced his skull and he was being pulled into a crushing hug. He pretended to be offended and made a false grimace, which Jackie instantly saw through and when she called him out on it he simply grinned good-naturedly and joined everyone at the table.

They passed plates of food around, shared holiday stories from times long past, played with Christmas crackers, and, oh yes, his cheerfulness was most certainly genuine to the point where he felt it practically radiating from himself.

They paused with the Christmas crackers and resumed eating. Every now and again, his palm felt a bit scratchy. After checking his hand and finding nothing, he shrugged and switched the fork to his other hand. Maybe this regeneration was telling him he was a lefty now. However, the sensation didn't go away. He once again inspected his hand, front and back, between the fingers. His right hand _did_ have to regenerate again after it'd been cut off. Had something gone wrong?

"Did one of the crackers get you?"

He snapped his attention to her. "Eh?"

She lifted her right hand to reveal a tiny paper cut on her palm. "Did you get a paper cut, too?"

He swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat. "No." She asked him what he was doing, then. He shook his head, trying to clear it. "New hand and all that, you know? Lovely new hand," he said hoarsely, plastering on a playful grin and wiggling his fingers.

She chuckled bemusedly at his antics. Shaking her head, she stood up to help her mum with some dishes. Before she left for the kitchen, he was about to ask if he should help, but when she stepped closer to him to take his plate, they made eye contact for a short second and suddenly he couldn't speak at all anymore. She didn't seem to notice his state of shock as she casually collected the dishes and took them to the kitchen.

Images of gold particles pouring from once-hazel eyes flashed heavily in his mind, the very energy of all of time and space threatening to burn her, take her away from him. There was no hesitation in him, not a care that he would regenerate.

She wanted to keep him safe, her Doctor. Just as intensely, _he_ wanted keep _her_ safe, his Rose. So powerful was his desire to keep her safe that he hadn't really had time to stop and think on the stranger points of this day. Like how he was always aware of her presence, or how she was able to awake him from a deep sleep with only two words.

The Doctor buried his face in his hands and audibly groaned. The groan wasn't out of anger or frustration, but out of sheer shock and uncertainty.

Rassilon help him, he had imprinted on Rose Tyler.


	2. The Christmas Invasion - Part 2

Chapter 2 – The Christmas Invasion Part 2

He hadn't realized he'd stopped breathing, not until he wrenched open the door of the TARDIS and slammed it behind him. Numbly, he threw his coat over a coral strut. He leaned his back heavily against the door and finally exhaled, allowing the low lights of the console room to sooth him.

The Doctor felt a pang of guilt. He'd simply ran from the flat without so much as a word. He wasn't even sure if anyone saw him leave, but he knew it wouldn't take long for Rose to notice. He stared hard at the time rotor. He'd always been a runner…

He shook his head. He didn't want to leave, he only needed to get away for a while, which was surprising given his renegade track-record. His fingers were itching for the buttons and levers of the console, but he couldn't move away from the door. He could run from anything he wanted to, but not her. Never her.

He'd left Rose on Earth to finish the Daleks himself. Of course, nothing ever goes to plan, and soon Rose and the Doctor weren't just saving the universe; they were saving each other. Him saving her from burning, and her saving him from his demons.

The Doctor sank slowly to the grating. She'd been chasing away the darkness since "Run". While they've had their ups and downs, they formed such a bond that both scared and delighted him. He'd gone so long without a connection like this, but in an instant, she stubbornly and compassionately got under his skin. He realized he surrendered to it without a thought the moment he took her hand.

"_It's called 'love', my Time Lord_," the TARDIS nudged against his mind. The Doctor's only response was an almost imperceptible nod. "_I know why you're scared, but you'll have to move from that spot eventually."_

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck and sighed, keeping his eyes on the ceiling, but not staring at anything in particular. "I don't know what happens now. She's…not going to want to come with me."

"_You think she doesn't love you_." It wasn't a question.

He shrugged, his face scrunched in a helpless expression. "Even if she…did love me, she loved the old me, not this me."

"_She dared to look into my heart, not just for the sake of the universe, but for you_."

His jaw set. He bolted to his feet, striding quickly to the console to walk circles around it. "And how could you have allowed that to happen? She could've died, burnt up in an instant!"

The TARDIS was affronted. "_But she didn't! This part of her timeline was absolute. She did precisely what she needed to do. _Wanted_ to do. Besides, do you honestly think I would allow such a fate to befall my Wolf_?"

The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose to calm his anger. "Well, she's not the Bad Wolf anymore. I made sure of it." All the Doctor got in reply was a tense silence. His pacing around the console slowed. "What aren't you telling me?"

Another silence stretched on for a long minute. "_That's not for me to divulge_," she said simply.

"If not you," he snapped. "Who?"

"_I cannot say that either_."

He sank down onto the jump seat and groaned petulantly. "That's not fair!" He buried his face in his hands. He didn't move from this position for a long time. "Is she safe," he asked, his voice just barely above a whisper.

"_I would say to look at her timelines and make conclusions on your own, but not only would it violate one of your rules, it also wouldn't help whatsoever_."

The Doctor shifted his gaze to glare impatiently at the floor. "What do you mean?"

The TARDIS seemed a little hesitant, as if choosing her words carefully. "_Her timelines are filled with uncertainty. In some futures the timelines are in flux, and in some they're fixed. Then, there are those that are both_."

The Doctor shook his head. "You can't have both, it would cause a paradox. So, it can't be that." He inhaled shakily. "Would it be safer to leave her here…on Earth?"

"_There's no certainty in that, either. Even so, you couldn't bear to leave her, especially now."_

He leaned against the backrest. "I've never imprinted on someone before," he sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I don't know how it's going to affect me, how Rose is going to react."

However, the more the Doctor thought about it, the lighter he admitted feeling. Earlier today, Rose was all but losing her mind over him dying then coming back to life. Then, only minutes ago, after a long day of saving the world once more, they were laughing over Christmas dinner wearing paper crowns. Things were starting to feel relatively normal again.

"_You still don't think she'll want to come with you_?"

The Doctor shook his head slowly. "It's been a day. Despite the positives, telling her I've imprinted on her may be too much." He paused. "You're right. I couldn't bear it if I had to leave her behind. I can't tell her about this, not yet anyway," he said quickly when he felt the TARDIS's trepidation. "This won't be a secret forever. I know I'll have to tell her eventually, but I'm going to wait, at least until things cool down between us."

"_You won't be able to keep it a secret for long_."

The Doctor chuckled lightly. "Believe me, I know. I hardly know anything about imprinting on someone, but from what I've been told by other Gallifreyans," he allowed his eyes to close, and inhaled. "It can be very overwhelming." When his eyes closed, he made himself relax, to finally face the source of his fear.

The Doctor dove into his subconscious, seeking out Rose's energy that danced within. Her essence burned bright, flashes of gold mingling freely with the darkness in his soul. He felt this liveliness practically everywhere in his being, including his head, specifically his telepathic centers. This was what was allowing him to easily get a feel of her presence. Though she was all the way at Jackie's flat, he still felt a dull, but pleasant tingle from her despite the distance. His head fell against the backrest in pure bliss.

When he opened his eyes, bringing himself back to the reality of the console room, he felt lighter than any gravity on any moon. Surely he could handle this. For now. "Results may vary," as a classmate from the Academy once joked to him. This particular classmate had never imprinted on anyone, but he knew of a guy who knew of a guy that may or may not have imprinted on a love interest. Believe it or not, it wasn't said classmate's fault for being an unreliable source. Imprinting between Gallifreyans was incredibly rare as well as vague. Not a lot of information existed on the subject due to it being a different experience for everyone.

A Gallifreyan imprinting on a human was unheard of. Would that mean it'd be a different experience altogether?

The TARDIS hummed in mild annoyance. "_You have such a habit of over thinking things_."

The Doctor ignored the statement and stood up. "Do we have anything in the library about this?"

"_Not much, but you probably guessed that_."

"Anything'll do." He started walking to one of the corridors, but stopped to look up at the ceiling. "You haven't talked to me this directly in a long time."

The lights in the console room dimmed a little. "_You convinced yourself for so long that you didn't need to share the company of anyone. I simply acquiesced to the silence until you found who you needed. _You_ had to be the one to find your Rose, not me._" A shaky hum came from the console. It was laughter, albeit unsteady. ""Forget me, Rose Tyler,"_ Isn't that what you said_?"

The Doctor couldn't help but grin at his ship. "All right, that's enough out of you." He patted a coral strut gently. "I need to concentrate on some books and you need stop to talking to me. You're exhausting yourself."

"_Rude and not ginger_," the TARDIS once again chuckled before the pressure from his mind eased, signaling the departure from this part of their connection.

"Suppose so, yeah." He patted the strut once more before murmuring a quiet 'thank you' to the TARDIS, and turned away.

He halted before he could even exit the console room. The tingling in his mind quickly spread into a pleasant warmth, akin to being curled up in a blanket with a good book. His head tilted in contemplation, but his thoughts were interrupted by one of the TARDIS doors opening.

He spun around to find Rose standing in the doorway, a strange mixture of confusion in her eyes and relief in her shoulders. She wore a thick winter jacket and her cheeks were lightly flushed from the outside chill.

"Was wondering where you ran off to," she said conversationally, a half-smile gracing her too calm face.

"Oh, just needed some fresh air," he drawled, waltzing casually towards her. "And needed to make sure the TARDIS was all right. She's still a bit weary, though. Might have to let her rest a bit."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "That's what happens when you crash land her near my mum's flat."

He rolled his eyes with a confident grin. "Rose Tyler, that wasn't a crash land. That was…falling with style." His face brightened. "Ooh, I'm a Disney fan! Fancy that."

With every word, Rose's smile grew with amusement. The Doctor closed his eyes briefly, and sighed. He sensed her happiness through the one-sided link, but just a little bit. While this felt nice, he was only able to get fragments of her emotions. For example, when she walked in he couldn't feel her confusion, and instead saw it on her face. But currently he could visibly see and experience her contentment. It felt as if he were only scratching the surface. Perhaps if he just concentrated more he could feel other emotions…

"Doctor!"

He snapped his eyes open to peer down at her. "Sorry?"

"I said I came to get you," Rose repeated patiently, beginning to step out of the ship into the night. "You should see it out here."

The Doctor glanced back in the direction of the library before compulsion told him to follow her. He plucked his coat from the strut and exited the TARDIS.

All around him was a world of white, blanketing the ground and floating through the air. Jackie, Mickey, and Rose were gazing around in wonder at having a white Christmas. The Doctor held out his hands, allowing flakes to fall on his skin. They were cool to the touch, but they weren't melting. He and Rose looked upwards at the same time.

Bright balls of light began flashing serenely across the sky. "That's beautiful," Rose murmured. She turned to the Doctor. "What are they? They look like meteors."

The Doctor shook his head stoically. "It's the Sycorax ship, breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow." He held his hand up to show her the flakes still resting in his palm. "It's ash."

"Okay," Rose winced. "Not so beautiful."

He shook the ash from his hands before sliding them in his coat pockets. "It's proof of what happened today," he spoke solemnly. Then, he stood straighter. "No denying the existence of aliens now, everyone saw it, and this." He waved vaguely at the flakes before he let his hand drop back in his pocket. "Everything's new." He faced her completely now. With a shrug, he added, "Including me."

Rose chewed on a fingernail, and the Doctor tried to decipher a specific emotion through the link, but nothing came up this time. "And what about you," she asked, voice casual, but body language belying that. "What are you going to do next?"

"Well," he shrugged again, also struggling to be casual. "Back to the TARDIS. Same old life."

"On your own?"

"Don't you want to come with me?" His words came out in a nervous rush.

Rose stopped tormenting her nails. She hadn't realized they'd been staring in each other's eyes for the whole conversation. "Well, yeah." He asked if she was sure and she repeated her answer.

"I just thought…" the Doctor swallowed thickly. "'Cause I changed…" He looked away, scratching his nose. "That you wouldn't-"

"No, I thought…" she interrupted, back to chewing a nail. "Well, I just thought since you changed…you wouldn't want…me to…"

The Doctor looked at her, eyes lighting up, smile widening. "Oh, no, Rose. I'd love you to come." _Please_, he thought desperately.

"Are you ever going to stay," a despondent voice asked. Their smiles faded slightly and they both looked back at Mickey.

Rose stammered a little before speaking. "There's so much out there," she said, tone apologetic. The Doctor hid his grimace. She shouldn't be sorry for wanting get out there and experience it all. He was standing in between her and the TARDIS so when she nodded her head in his direction, he couldn't tell whether she was gesturing to him or the ship, or both. "I've got to."

Mickey didn't make eye contact with her. "Right," he said simply. And the Doctor raised an eyebrow when Mickey turned away to walk home.

Jackie was surprised as well, but at the same time understood. Mickey and Rose had known each for years, and while Rose was taking an extraordinary opportunity again, Mickey was obviously feeling put out. She raised an eyebrow at her daughter, but Rose just shook her head. Jackie rolled her eyes, but didn't press the matter.

Rose turned back to the Doctor to see him gazing at her with a small, fond smile, which Rose quickly matched. Jackie stared at them a while before speaking. "Well I reckon you're mad." She crossed her arms. "The pair of you. It's like you go looking for trouble."

"Nah," the Doctor crowed jovially, striding over to Jackie. "Trouble's just the bits in between." He slung an arm over Jackie's shoulders and peered up at the sky. "It's all waiting out there. And it's all new to me. All those planets, creatures, horizons, haven't seen them yet. Not with this eyes." He stepped away from her as he spoke to return to Rose's side.

He nudged Rose playfully with his shoulder. "And it is going to be," he smiled impossibly wider when she used her own shoulder to nudge back. "Fantastic." Craving more of her touch, he held his hand out. She didn't take it immediately, and he felt a little panic bubble inside him.

But then, she said jokingly, "Your hand still gives me the creeps."

The Doctor shook his head at her, his wide smile never leaving his face. He wiggled his fingers invitingly. Her tongue poked out between her teeth and she took his hand without hesitation. As soon as this happened, he laced their fingers snugly together.

"So," Rose started, stepping closer until her shoulder leaned against his upper arm. "Where're we going first?"

The Doctor looked back up with a hum. "That way," he said, pointing up at the sky. "No, hold on," he paused dramatically, not gesturing to anything particular, just having fun. He moved his finger about a couple inches from where he was originally pointing. "That way."

"Yeah?" Rose smirked excitedly.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor waggled his eyebrows, causing her to giggle. "Not straight away, though, no. Like I said, TARDIS needs rest. Should only be a few hours, but…" He looked behind them to see Jackie was already walking back to her flat. "If your mum will have us, we could stay through New Years, if you like."

Rose's eyes widened. "Really? You'd willingly stay that long?" The Doctor nodded. He wasn't expecting her to launch forwards, and he just barely caught her in a hug. The warmth in his mind exploded outward, spreading to his subconscious and then everywhere else, filling him up until he thought he would burst. If ever there were a heaven, this would be it. Just as he was about to shift his arms to accommodate her more closely, she pulled back. "Thank you so much! Mum's going to love this." She wagged a finger in mock-sternness. "Promise you won't start feeling too domestic-y and swan off without me?"

He scoffed. "You're joking, yeah? The TARDIS would ground me." She laughed, but it was partly to hide a cold shiver, which the Doctor instantly noticed. "How about you head back to your mum's? It's late, and you must be freezing." Rose nodded and started walking away. The Doctor turned back to the TARDIS. He still wanted to sift through the library.

However, instead, he turned a completley different direction. He jogged, only slowing to catch her hand and match her pace. Rose looked up at him and smiled, squeezing his hand just a little tighter. For now, the library could wait. It seemed that this regeneration accepted domestics, or was it because he imprinted on her? Either or, he could do research later. He detested the idea of being away from her.

It took him over nine-hundred years to find someone he could never run from. And it felt fantastic.


	3. New Earth - Part 1

Chapter 3 – New Earth Part 1

The following days after Christmas went by without event. Rose mostly spent time helping her mum out around the flat, running errands together, some shopping trips, and buying chips and crisps for when any fireworks shows started. They would have to buy more chips later since Rose had sneaked one too many, with the Doctor's help.

Surprisingly, the Doctor wasn't just enjoying himself, he seemed completely content. Occasionally, he would run errands with them or help clean up after a meal, and he did so with a genuine smile on his face. However, he did have some criticisms.

"It's fine, Doctor," Rose admonished for the umpteenth time.

"Nonsense," the Doctor tried to reason while he held the sonic to the stove. "I'm certain with a couple adjustments to this burner I can make it so the kettle will boil faster." He paused to hum thoughtfully. "I can do the same with the other burners, if you like."

That's when Jackie walked in the kitchen. "What's he doing?"

Rose leaned against the wall, half exasperated, half amused. "Trying to blow up the Estate." She snorted at his indignant 'oi'.

Jackie rolled her eyes and grabbed a magazine from the kitchen counter. It was the magazine she'd been looking all over the flat for, but it was also convenient for the current matter. Jackie rolled it up in her hand.

"Oi," the Doctor exclaimed again when he felt the magazine connect with the top of his head. He looked up to see a stern Jackie.

"If you blow up my flat," she said as she walked away towards the sofa. "I'm coming to live with you and Rose on your spaceship."

The Doctor's eyes widened in horror and Rose loudly burst into laughter. He quickly morphed his expression into one of indifference. "Well," he cleared his throat, nodding to the stove. "I suppose it's in fine working order. I mean, after I did a thorough inspection, of course. Yep, tip-top shape!"

Though he acted like he couldn't sit still for very long, Rose was constantly being surprised. Sometimes he would be attempting to fix something in the flat, other times he would be helping them with a chore, like dishes or folding laundry. Sometimes he would visit the hardware shop for prospective TARDIS parts, other times he would be lounging peacefully next to Rose in front of the telly.

What else was surprising was how attentive this Doctor was towards her. Her previous Doctor was never neglectful of her; he'd always wanted her involved in whatever scheme or adventure he was up to, and he always took her opinions and suggestions to heart. However, this Doctor was a different level.

Wherever she was, he wanted to be. Whether it was lazing about the flat or going shopping with her mum, the Doctor was more than happy to tag along. He was following her lead most of the time instead of whinging about being stuck on Earth. He also seemed to be able to read her like a book.

When her paper cut started to itch, she made for the loo to get the first-aid kit. She didn't move more than a couple feet when the Doctor was suddenly in front of her with the tube of ointment. She was shocked, but she chalked it up to the fact that she'd been scratching at it an hour prior and the Doctor probably noticed at the time. When she started thinking about her argument with Mickey, she'd get a sad heaviness in her stomach. Right when she felt like she was starting to cry, the Doctor appeared, armed with a steaming mug of her favorite Earth tea. Rose knew that she had a habit of wearing her emotions, but his timing with the tea was almost too perfect. Still, she didn't feel the need to question him on this, because he didn't press her for any details. He simply sat with her, cheering her up by spouting out unbelievable but true facts about the numerous tabloids spread out on Jackie's coffee table.

When the Doctor had disappeared during Christmas dinner, she'd immediately asked Mickey and Jackie if they'd seen him. Jackie suggested that he probably went back to the TARDIS like he always did, and Mickey muttered a pitiless comment under his breath. Rose demanded to know whether the comment was directed at the Doctor or herself. Sensing a couple's row coming along, Jackie discreetly left to eat her dessert out on the balcony.

And a row it was. They argued for well over several minutes, Mickey voicing his anger of having been left behind while she travelled the universe, Rose venting her culminated frustration of the day's events. The end of the argument wasn't of mutual standing, no 'agree to disagree', no real final say from either of them. At Mickey's tired silence, Rose had turned and walked out to find the Doctor.

Mickey was nowhere to be found during their New Year's holiday at Jackie's flat. Perhaps, for the time being, it was for the best. He'd become good friends with her mum over the years. The last thing Rose wanted was for Mickey to come over and for her mum to get involved in another argument; that wouldn't be fair to anyone.

Rose and Mickey had such a long history. She didn't know what he meant to her now, but any kind of friendship now seemed far out of reach at this point. She no longer desired a relationship with Mickey, but she wasn't sure whether she should at least patch things up with him, or let him go. Well, the Doctor had the TARDIS. Rose had plenty of time to figure things out.

As the Doctor expected, the TARDIS gained full strength in less than twenty-four hours after Christmas Day. They enjoyed themselves those next few days, eating leftover holiday food, making fun of science documentaries, watching fireworks from Jackie's balcony, just ringing in the New Year. And soon, Rose was packing another bag while the Doctor prepped the TARDIS.

"Now, you've got everything, right," Jackie nagged. "Mobile, warm clothes, extra knickers-"

"Mum! We're in public," Rose exclaimed, face heating as she quickly glanced around the street they were standing in. She lowered her voice a little. "Yeah, I've got everything. And if I did forget something we can always come back, buy it somewhere, or the TARDIS can provide it."

"That ship of yours sounds more like a funhouse by the day," Jackie muttered. When Rose put her bag on the ground, Jackie pulled her daughter in for a lengthy hug. "You'll call me whenever you can? You got the phone charger on you?"

"'Course," Rose nodded against her shoulder, also not quite willing to let go yet.

"And you tell that Doctor he'd better keep you safe."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child, mum."

Jackie released her and shook her head with a sad smile. "No, you're not. You're all grown up." She paused. "Also tell him I want you to visit often," she jabbed a finger at the TARDIS. "And that _includes_ him. He's family now, has been for a while…He does know that, right?"

Rose smiled. "After this holiday, I think he does. I have to go now, all right? I love you."

"Love you, too, darling." They hugged again before Rose picked up her bag and disappeared behind those blue doors.

Jackie walked away before the TARDIS completely dematerialized, for she knew her daughter had her own life to enjoy.

* * *

When the Doctor heard the doors creak shut, he balanced himself on one foot to glance around the time rotor. There she was, beaming away at him, clever eyes bright and giddy and ready for adventure. It didn't matter that the light of the console room was always dim, or that her hair was lightly tousled from carrying her luggage, Rose's smile was one of the most beautiful things in his universe.

The Doctor gave her a mischievous grin, pulled the helmic regulator, hit another lever, and they were careening through the vortex once more. Rose pushed her bag off to the side; she would tend to it later as her and the Doctor were full of energy and ready to jump right into it all.

She ran up the ramp and plopped down onto the jump seat to watch his usual dance. "So where're we going," she asked.

"Further than we've ever gone before." Then, the Doctor paused his movements. He once again peeked his head around the time rotor. "What're you doing all the way over there," he asked as if she were missing something obvious. Her eyebrows came together. "Come here and hold this lever down."

Rose's eyes widened, and she scrambled to her feet. This was new. Normally, he hardly ever let her touch the console. Despite the usual jostling of the flight, she jogged to the Doctor's side without incident.

The Doctor grinned at her and pointed to a rather small lever. "Hold that down and don't let go 'till I say." She did as instructed and he started racing around again, doing more actions on the console than usual. "The TARDIS did some recalibrating while she rested," he explained. "So, I have to return things to my favorite settings."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with _her_ settings?"

"I disagree with them," he said without missing a beat.

Rose snorted. "Well, maybe she has those settings in place for a reason."

"Ugh," he groaned. "You sound just like the manual." Rose was shaking her head amusedly as the Doctor flitted back to her side. "Ready?" He wagged an eyebrow. Rose grinned and nodded. He flipped the handbrake and the TARDIS started to shake and rattle maniacally. "All right, let it go!" She let the lever go, but now she had nothing to hold on to. She was almost pitched backwards, but the Doctor held her fast, locking his arm around her waist and holding them both against the console. The TARDIS was shaking more this trip, but that was due to all the resetting he did. The extra shaking was the ship's form of protest, but even then the lights seemed to glow with amusement as her passengers laughed exuberantly.

When the TARDIS's groaning and moving came to an end, the Doctor finally released her. "Let's go," he exclaimed as he grabbed his coat. "Time's a-wasting."

"You've never let me touch the controls before," she remarked. When the Doctor didn't respond, she switched to talking about something else. "So, what was that lever?"

He pulled his coat on and scratched his neck. "Well," he said after a moment. "It's a very important one, that lever. Had to reset it so that it…worked properly."

"What's it for," Rose asked again.

"Audio neutralizer to aid in the materialization and dematerialization processes."

"Why would you need to…" she paused, trying to get a better understanding of what he was saying, "…neutralize audio?"

"Because…well," the Doctor flexed his jaw to try and find some clever words.

Rose's eyes widened and her face split into a grin. "You mean to tell me the TARDIS has had a mute button for the landing noise all this time?"

"It's not a mute button," the Doctor protested with a squeak in his voice. He turned to the door and opened it. "…It's a lever. And how else am I supposed to know if she's landed if I can't hear her?" Rose laughed. "Are you coming?"

"All right, all right." She calmed herself to catch up with him. "Where've we landed?" The smell of apples wafted around her before she even exited the TARDIS.

When she did, her feet steeped out onto lush green grass. The TARDIS had landed them on an expanse of field, overlooking a bustling city that sat atop a wide river. Her head swiveled in wonder as flying vehicles similar to cars flew overhead.

"It's the year five billion and twenty-three," the Doctor enlightened. "We're in the galaxy M87." He took her hand and gazed at her. "Rose Tyler, welcome to New Earth."

Rose chuckled breathlessly. "That's…it's just…"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Not bad at all, I'd say. Your first time flying, too, and we made it one piece."

She pushed his shoulder indignantly. "All I did was hold the mute button!"

"Lever," the Doctor corrected. "And you're jeaopardy-friendly, who knows what could've happened?"

"Rude," Rose grumbled, but the Doctor was delighted to see her grin still hadn't left her face. "This is amazing. Oh, I'll never get used to this." She bounced a little. "Different ground beneath my feet, different sky, and what's that smell?"

The Doctor bent to pluck some grass and hold it up to her nose. "Apple grass."

"It smells wonderful." Once the Doctor released the grass into the wind, she took his hand again. "It's beautiful," she said, not taking her eyes off his. "Can I just say, travelling with you, I love it."

The Doctor closed his eyes and his smile widened, as if he were focusing on something that Rose couldn't see. After a moment he opened them. "Me too." He held her hand a little tighter. "Come on!"

With a fast run, he led Rose further away from the TARDIS to find a flat space on the field. After laying his coat on the grass he gently tugged Rose to lie down next to him. Putting some of her weight on their still-joined hands, she carefully dropped to sit by his side. For a peaceful moment, he watched as the wind whipped at her hair.

"So," the Doctor began. "The year five billion, the sun expands and the Earth gets roasted."

Rose gave him a cheeky a grin. "That was our first date."

The Doctor hummed fondly. "We had chips." She chuckled. "Anyway," he continued. "Planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spreads out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, _oh yeah_, all nostalgic, big revival movement, then they find this place." He sat up on his elbows to be more level with her and to look out across the city. "Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in."

Rose nodded to the city. "What's it called?"

"New New York." She gave him a dubious look. "It is," he chuckled. "It's the city of New New York." He shrugged. "Well, strictly speaking it's the fifteenth New York since the original. So that technically makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York." When Rose didn't say anything, he looked at her to find a pensive line between her brows. "What?"

"You're so different," Rose murmured, and the Doctor was crestfallen to hear a hint of sadness.

"Good different or bad different?"

Rose's gaze shifted to the grass behind them as she fidgeted with a seam on the coat. She was trying to find an answer to the question he'd asked before. Rose still missed her previous Doctor, and she didn't think she would ever _stop_ missing him, but this new Doctor had such a charm, an air about him that made him easy to be around. She didn't have to make much of an effort to get used to who he was now. She was enjoying his company as much as he still enjoyed her's.

Over the loud wind, Rose didn't hear the Doctor shift closer, but she did look at him when she felt his fingers brushing some hair away from her eyes. "All right," he asked tentatively.

Rose gave him a half-smile. "Good different," she nodded.

The Doctor beamed at her, and the fingers that had stroked her hair away were now resting delicately on her cheek. Before Rose had a chance to react to this tender contact, the Doctor suddenly reached over her, his forearm brushing across her ribs.

"Wha-" She exclaimed, but then she saw he was taking a corner of the coat off the grass to rifle through a pocket.

"Hang on, what's this," he murmured, taking out the psychic paper. He gave it a read and began standing up.

"What is it," Rose asked as she stood and picked his coat off the ground for him.

"Message on the psychic paper," he explained. "Looks like someone wants to see us in 'Ward 26'."

"Where's that at?"

He tipped his chin towards another corner of the river where a tall white structure stood by the shore. "Over there. See that green moon on the side? It's the universal symbol for hospitals."

"Any idea who wants to see us?"

The Doctor shook his head as he took Rose's hand, guiding them onward. "There was no signature on the message. We'll have to play it by ear."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Right, 'cause we never do that."

"Hey, I'd say we have spontaneity down to an art form."

"By spontaneity, do you mean always landing in the wrong place and time period," she asked, her tongue poking between her teeth.

The Doctor rolled his eyes as they stepped out onto the shoreline. "What I mean is adventure at every turn." He brandished the psychic paper before sliding it back in his pocket. "Always a thrilling surprise around every corner. Who knows," he waggled his eyebrows at her. "There may be some deep dark mystery in this hospital that only we can solve. Ooh, you could pose as a patient in order to ensure they keep us." He chuckled as they walked up the steps to the front entrance of the hospital.

Rose shook her head at his teasing. "Mum's right, I think we do go looking for trouble. And why would _I_ have to be the patient," she whined as she crossed her arms.

The Doctor held a door open for her. "For one, you don't do bed rest well and it'd be a laugh to watch you boss around the staff. And two, I don't like hospitals to begin with."

"Really," Rose raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit rich, coming from you."

"I don't like hospitals," he repeated, as if he were stating a fact. "They give me the creeps."

They began wandering the expanse of the main lobby. All the floors and walls were as shiny and sterile as any other hospital. Staff and patients milled around them, and Rose couldn't help but notice how happy everyone seemed. She might even go so far as to say they looked overjoyed. Every person they passed were on their way out of the hospital looking in perfect health. Rose almost thought it was too perfect, but this was billions of years into her future which meant modern medicine was sure to be better than ever.

"I'd have thought this far into the future they'd have cured everything," Rose wondered aloud after the Doctor was done musing about there not being a little shop.

The Doctor was looking for a lift that would take them to the appropriate floor. "The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war." He turned around when he heard her stop walking.

"They're cats," Rose whispered, pointed to a pair of nurses that walked passed them.

"Now, don't stare. What do you think you look like to them, all pink and yellow?" Not waiting for her response he began walking again, thinking for sure she would fall back into step with him. Rose was torn between gawking at the cat-nuns or observing the almost too-healthy-looking patients. She didn't hear the Doctor talking about where he'd put a shop as he walked further away from her. As a result, she was too late to join him on the lift.

"Hey, wait," she exclaimed, running forward.

The Doctor realized too late that she wasn't right behind him and didn't have time to stop the doors before they sealed shut. "Too late," he hollered, trying not to grit his teeth in apprehension. "I'm going up. Remember, Ward 26! And watch out for the disinfectant!"

Rose yelled to ask him to repeat himself, but the lift had already taken him too far up. With a huff, Rose took the adjacent lift. He'd said 'Ward 26', but she couldn't hear him after that. So, as one can imagine, the disinfectant she was sprayed with upon entering the lift came as quite a surprise. She breathed a sigh of relief when the jarring shower finally came to end and the lift opened its door.

Rose expected to see the Doctor waiting for her, expected to see more of the polished surface of the hospital, but what she got instead was a gloomy hallway with pipes and wires attached to the floor, walls, and ceiling. It appeared as though she were now below the hospital.

"The human child is clean."

Rose spun at the sound of the new voice. A young man stood a little ways down the hall, staring far too calmly at her.

Rose licked her lips nervously. "I'm…looking for Ward 26." She tried to relax. This was clearly a part of the hospital where they did maintenance on plumbing and electrical. If the person at the end of the hall was a maintenance man, surely he could help her get to Ward 26, but Rose couldn't help shake the feeling that ending up down there was no accident.

Her suspicions were confirmed when the man spoke again. "This way, Rose Tyler."

Rose's eyebrows slowly lifted in question. The man walked down the hall, clearly expecting her to follow. She looked to the lift to see it was still sealed. The button on the wall to open its doors was cracked and falling off its mount. She only had one choice of direction.

After a deep breath, she bent down, picked up a long rod of broken metal, and followed the strange man.

* * *

After arriving near Ward 26, the Doctor waited patiently by the other lift doors. What was taking her so long?

The Doctor shivered tensely. The comforting warmth that radiated from Rose's energy in his subconscious always lessened when she was far from him. At first, she was only several floors down as the lift took him up, and he waited for the other lift that would take her up to him. However, now he felt almost cold, as if she'd moved further away into the hospital.

The Doctor shook his head. The lift she'd have to take wasn't capable of going down any further. He pulled out the sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the nearest call button.

"May I ask what you're doing," a strict voice demanded.

The Doctor glanced back to look at the nurse. "My friend should've been here by now. I'm just making sure everything's in working order." Without waiting for a reaction to this statement, he started to adjust the sonic.

The nurse waved dismissively. "I assure you, sir, that everything is in working order in this hospital. Now, is there a patient here that you're visiting, or do I have to ask you to vacate the premises?"

At her clipped tone, the Doctor growled under his breath, and he pocketed the sonic. "We're here to see someone in Ward 26," he said as he walked over to the nurse. "Emphasis on 'we'. My friend, Rose Tyler, must've gotten lost."

The nurse nodded in understanding. "I could ask at reception to see if your friend has checked in with them. Ward 26 is this way, if you'll follow." She turned around and walked through a large set of open glass doors.

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck, conflicted. It was in Rose's nature to wander off and she was probably just exploring before she found her way back to him. His strongest impulse was to look for her, to assure himself of her well-being. However, if the Doctor took the time to meet whoever gave him the note on the psychic paper, perhaps Rose would simply reconvene with him. She did know which ward to go to. It would do him no good to look for her only to find out that she arrived in Ward 26 waiting for him.

With an irate exhale, he followed the nurse. Trying to distract himself, he said, "Nice place, by the way, but no shop downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one, just a shop where people can…shop."

The nurse looked at him dubiously. "A hospital is a place of healing."

"A shop does some people a world of good. Not me, other people."

Noticing that the nurse started to ignore his rambling, he turned his focus on the patients they passed. The Doctor gave them all a sympathetic glance. A few of the patients had debilitating illnesses they wouldn't soon recover from, one of which included Petrifold Regression that was infecting the Duke of Manhattan.

"Excuse me," the Duke's assistant snapped at the Doctor. "Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York."

"Frau Clovis," the Duke sighed. "I'm so weak." Clovis immediately spun around to tend to him.

At the Doctor's expression, the nurse faced him. "He'll be up and about in no time," she assured.

The Doctor shook his head. "I doubt it. Petrifold Regression mean he's turning to stone. There won't be a cure for another, oh, thousand years. He might be up and about, but only as a statue."

The nurse straightened. "Have faith in us," was all she said before leading him further into the ward. "How will you know who you're looking? It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient.

The Doctor's eyes fell on the final patient at the end of the ward. Resting in his glass domicile was the Face of Boe. "I think I've found him."

Seeing how hard one of the cat-nuns was working around Boe, he politely asked the nurse for some water. Once given, he passed the cup to the nun who he was told was named Novice Hame.

"Thank you," Hame muttered. "That's very kind. Are you a friend of his?"

The Doctor shrugged. "We only met once before. What's wrong with him?"

Hame's head drooped little. "He's dying of the one thing we can't cure. Old age. He's thousands of years old, some say millions. Although, that would be impossible," she finished with a tiny chuckle.

"Oh, I don't know," the Doctor said as he crouched down. "I like impossible." He put his fingertips to the glass. The only response from the Face of Boe was a sleepy exhale. "I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me. It's the Doctor." He looked to Hame again. "Am I the only visitor?"

She nodded. "Then there's me, but I only maintain his smoke. His kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left." She was looking wistfully out the window at the river. "Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, he'll impart his great secret, that he will speak those words to…a wanderer, to the man without a home. The lonely God."

The Doctor was still as Hame spoke. There were many wanderers in the universe, and many Gods. Boe's last bit of wisdom could be said to any number of those, least of all him. The Doctor swallowed. "Stories, yeah?"

The Doctor was starting to feel pressure near his eyes and on his forehead, as if he were about to cry. He did some deep breathing and once he was calm, the pressure still didn't abate. He now felt as though someone were pressing down on his head. He gritted his teeth against the sensation. It wasn't going away, but it wasn't increasing anymore. Involuntarily, he sought out Rose's energy, as if it would give him an answer. Rose was still no closer to him than when he'd arrived at Ward 26. Not only that, but her energy felt similar to how his head currently felt, tense and stifled.

The Doctor's eyes snapped open. He bolted to his feet and stood over Hame, taking no heed of the hint of fear in her eyes. "I need a phone, now!"

Stuttering, she recommended he used the one on the floor's security desk. He ran out of the ward. When he found the phone, he straight away dialed Rose's mobile, hoping that she had it on her this trip. The pressure still hadn't ceased.

"Uh, wotcha," Rose's voice came from the other end.

He breathed, some tension leaving his shoulders. "One of these days I ought to get a phone of my own, might make it easier when you wander off. Anyway, how long does it take to get to Ward 26?"

Rose began to say she was on her way and she sounded a little strained. The rest of her sentence was drowned out by raucous laughter coming from Ward 26; it sounded like the Duke of Manhattan. Wasn't he incapacitated mere minutes ago?

The Doctor did a quick analysis through the link. He still felt pressure, but it hadn't worsened and hearing Rose's voice again was a relief. "I'd better go," he said quickly. "See you in a minute. And try not to wander off again," he scolded lightly.

The Doctor positioned himself to fully face the ward. The Duke of Manhattan was laughing, making jokes, and sipping champagne. His skin had turned back into a healthy shade and his once groggy voice was as smooth as a bard's.

"That's impossible," the Doctor whispered. After stealing another glance around, he noticed the other patients were in high spirits, and not just from the Duke's quips. They'd been healed, too. "That's…"

"Primitive species would accuse of magic," another nurse walked up beside him. The Doctor refused to take his eyes off Ward 26. "But it's merely the tender application of science."

"How on Earth did you cure them?"

"How on New Earth, you might say." She shrugged elegantly. "A simple remedy."

This made him look at the nurse. "Then tell me what it is."

She scoffed. "I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality."

The nurse the Doctor had conversed with previously had joined them. "Matron Casp," she said, voice shaky from a light a jog. "You're needed in Intensive Care."

Casp gave the Doctor a polite nod and followed her fellow nurse, both muttering about how someone in the hospital just gained consciousness. The Doctor shook his head, mind beyond confused at this point.

The Doctor finally noticed Rose's presence coming closer, and when that pleasant warmth within him began to spread he swiveled around until he caught sight of her. "There you are!" He waited for Rose to catch up and join his side. Odd, he normally would've met her halfway and took her hand to guide her back to the ward, especially with how long she was gone for. He shook his head; perhaps he was just being clingy.

"Here, have a look at this," the Doctor murmured low enough so only she could hear, nodding at the patients one by one. "Marconi's Disease. Takes years to recover, but they did it in two days. Pallidome Pancrosis. That man should've been dead ten minutes ago. And don't get me started on the Petrifold Regression." His eye caught sight of some more medical equipment. "Their medical science is way advanced. I need to find a terminal and see how they're doing this." He arched a clever eyebrow and looked at Rose. "If they've got the best medicine in the world, why does it seem like such a secret?"

"I can't Adam and Eve it," Rose stated as the Doctor began searching for records or a database.

The Doctor stopped dead and spun to face her. "Wait, what-what's with the voice?"

"Oh, I don't know," she shrugged slowly. "Just larking about. New Earth, new me." She paused, licking her lips and adjusting her top, but he wasn't focused on the immodest way she'd adjusted its zipper. Now that she was closer, he could sense how aggravated the link was. "…And new you." Suddenly, Rose's hands were buried in his hair, her lips pressed against his in a hard snog.

In this universe, there are good and bad kinds of burns. The burn that blazed through the Doctor was not one of passion, but one of agony. That was the only way he could describe it, hot fire stabbing at his telepathic centers, repressive heat constricting around Rose's energy, threatening to burn both her and him.

That was it!

Rose finally stepped back to breath. "T…" She cleared her throat and pointed lazily to the wall. "Terminal's this way."

The Doctor was only able to breathe properly when she walked away from him. He rubbed at his temples in an effort to ease more of the burning which mercifully began to subside when she stepped away. Rose's energy would not react so fearful and repulsive towards her own willing actions. Something else didn't make sense. He felt the usual lovely warmth when they'd reunited by the ward, but the warmth quickly turned edgy when she got even closer, as if the link was confused.

The Doctor observed Rose as she made her way to the terminal. Her body language was all wrong, her voice held an arrogant lilt, and she didn't seem even remotely curious about the fast-healing patients. This wasn't Rose.

Reluctantly, he started walking towards her, fists clenched in his suit pockets. Whatever had happened to his Rose, he would fix it. And whoever got in his way would meet the Oncoming Storm.


	4. New Earth - Part 2

Chapter 4 – New Earth Part 2

After manipulating the computer terminal with the sonic, a wall next to them opened up to reveal a dark corridor. Confidently, Rose strode forwards with the Doctor slowly following.

The Doctor was aggravated, to say the least. He wanted to be close to her, but also couldn't bear to be near. He wanted to carry a conversation with her, but couldn't stand the tone in her voice. He was also angry at himself that he couldn't yet figure out what was wrong with her, what was causing such changes to her personality.

They travelled down a couple flights of stairs, and upon turning a corner were greeted with a vast sight. Every inch and corner of the walls, stretching up to the high ceiling and all the way down to the lower levels were thousands of doors. The Doctor's brows furrowed. Too many doors, all of them human-sized. Stomach clenching, he shuffled around Rose and opened one of them.

"That's disgusting," Rose commented with a scowl. A man was sitting in the cell, eyes unfocused, boils raised from the skin, veins discolored, and a myriad of other health anomalies. "What's wrong with him?"

The Doctor ignored her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry." He closed the door.

He went through a few more cells, and one after the other held an incredibly sick person. The Doctor slammed a cell shut, turned on his heels and looked out over the railing.

"What diseases do they have," Rose asked.

"All of them," he spat. "Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything."

"What about us," she asked without pause. "Are we safe?"

The Doctor ground his teeth together. If the lack of normal behavior didn't make it obvious that this wasn't Rose, then her caring about herself before others surely did. "The air is sterile, just don't touch them."

"How many patients are there?"

"They're not patients, they're lab rats. They were born sick, they exist to be sick. No wonder they've got a cure for everything. It's the ultimate research laboratory." He paused to breathe. "A human farm."

"Why don't they just die?"

With every explanation he gave, with every word that came from Rose's mouth, his knuckles were turning increasingly white as he held the safety bar in front of him.

"It's for the greater cause," a light voice tried to reason. Novice Hame walked into the low light of the corridor.

The Doctor shoved away from the railing. "When you took your vows, did you agree to this," he bit out as he advanced on her.

"As a Sisterhood," she said. "We're sworn to help."

"What? By killing?!"

"But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, and with every word he spoke, his temper rose. "What's the turnover, hmm? A thousand a day, a thousand the next? What about the next? How many thousands, for how many years? How many?!"

Hame shook her head stubbornly. "Mankind needed us, Doctor. They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope, and we tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow. So the Sisterhood grew its own flesh." She waved at the doors. "That's all they are, flesh. Think of all those humans we've saved. They're happy and healthy because of us."

The Doctor stared at her. "If they live because of this, then life is worthless."

Hame stared back. "But who are you to decide that?"

"I'm the Doctor." He straightened to his full height. "And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, there isn't one. It stops with me."

Rose put a hand on the Doctor's shoulder, sending an unsettling jolt through him all the way to the confused link. "Just to confirm," she said, as if adding an afterthought to a casual conversation. "None of the humans in the city actually know about this?"

Hame didn't take her eyes off the Doctor. "We thought it best not-"

"Hold on," he interrupted sharply. "I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand, what have you done to Rose?"

Hame tilted her head. "I don't know what you mean."

"And I'm being very calm," the Doctor snarled. "You ought to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing." He nodded towards Rose, but didn't look at her. "Whatever you've done to Rose, whatever you've done to her head, I want it reversed. And I want it reversed now."

Hame shook her head, glancing rapidly between Rose and the Doctor. "We haven't done anything."

"I'm perfectly fine," Rose said from behind him.

"These people are dying and Rose would care."

"Oh, all right." Rose suddenly yanked the Doctor's arm so he spun around to face her. "Clever clogs. Smarty pants." She fondled his tie and he watched her guardedly. She shifted and it tightened fractionally around his neck. "Lady-killer," she growled between gritted teeth.

The Doctor was even more confused by this shift in behavior. "What's happened to you?"

She let go of his tie to toy with the front of her top. "I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out."

"Who are you?"

She gripped his tie once more, pulling him close so only he could hear her. "The last human."

The Doctor blinked in astonishment. "Cassandra?"

"Wake up and smell the perfume," she said. Impatiently, she revealed the vial of liquid she took from her cleavage and squirted it at the Doctor's face. He didn't get a chance to fight for consciousness, he was already on the ground.

* * *

The Doctor had woken up in one of the cells. He pushed on the door, looked for a latch, weak hinges, exposed wires, but saw no way out. He wondered how much time had passed. Letting his eyes fall shut, he concentrated on the link, reaching out to Rose. He was disturbed to find that the tension was not only still there, but much worse than before. _Think, think, damn it_, the Doctor groaned in frustration. _What exists in the universe that could be making Rose feel such awful pressure? _Because it was Rose who was being afflicted, not him. Oh, but he could certainly feel her distress, and any patience he had for anyone was quickly running out.

The Doctor wouldn't be able to help her from inside the cell. "Let me out," he said, giving shouting a try. "Let me out!"

"Aren't you lucky they had a spare," Rose's voice rang out. He could just barely make out her silhouette through the tinted door. "Standing room only."

"You've stolen Rose's body."

"Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor. And that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes, and you've only got about three minutes left-"

"Just let Rose go, Cassandra!"

"I will," she said flippantly. "As soon as I've found someone younger and less…common, then I'll junk her with the waste. Now hushaby, it's showtime."

Another set of voices interrupted Cassandra, and the Doctor recognized them as two of the nurses. All he could do was listen to the greedy proposal Cassandra had for them. After the nurses declined more than once, he could hear the clip in Cassandra's voice.

"I'll tell the city about all of this," Cassandra repeated again to them. "And you've no way of stopping me. You're not exactly nuns with guns. You're not armed."

"Who needs guns," one of the nurses snarled. "When we have claws?"

From inside the cell, the Doctor heard everyone pause before Cassandra spoke again. "Well, nice try. Chip, plan B!"

Hissing sounded up and down the corridor, and then Doctor's door hissed and opened. Springing out of the cell, the Doctor watched in horror as the ill humans filed out one by one. "What've you done?"

"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up," Cassandra said, only glancing at him before rushing to a staircase while a man with strange markings followed her swiftly. "See you!"

The Doctor gave one last look to the nurses. "Don't touch them! Whatever you do, don't touch!" Before anymore humans could surround him, he ran after Cassandra and her servant.

They were sprinting down the halls when sparks began flying at them from the cell doors. Suddenly it wasn't just those couple doors that had opened, it was all of them, row by row, floor by floor. They stopped at the top of the stairs.

"Oh my god," Cassandra murmured, watching the humans with every disease in the galaxy be set free.

"What the hell have you done," the Doctor snapped again.

"It wasn't me," she yelled back, with a hint of a whine.

"One touch and you get every disease in the world." He looked her dead in the eyes, his own filled with fear and anger. "And I want that body safe, Cassandra. We've got to go down!"

"There's thousands of them," she exclaimed with panic.

"Now!"

Snapping out of it she fled down the staircase, the Doctor and Chip right behind her.

"_This building is under quarantine_," the speakers around the hospital parroted.

They dodged the sickly hands that reached out, ran as fast as their legs could carry them, until they made it to the basement. Knowing the lift no longer went up due to the broken call button and that it wouldn't have worked anyway with the quarantine, they had to veer down another hallway.

Chip wasn't able to keep up, though. The sick people had closed him off from the Doctor and Cassandra. "Leave him," Cassandra barked when the Doctor stalled. "He's just a clone thing. He's only got a half-life. Now, come on!"

The Doctor cringed at Chip. "I'm sorry. I can't let her escape." With that, he went after Cassandra, trying to ignore Chip's cries for his mistress.

They arrived in a large room, more than likely the place Cassandra had previously been staying in, judging by the metal frame that looked similar to the one that held her skin on Platform One. Upon further inspection, he found the answer he'd been looking for, in the form of a contraption sitting on the other side of the room.

Cassandra ran at the other door, only to find more of the sick humans. "We're trapped," she yelled after securing the door. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, for starters," the Doctor spoke slowly, clearly, making sure she heard him. "You're going to leave that body." He pointed to the contraption. "That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet. You're compressing Rose to death!"

"But I've got nowhere to go," Cassandra also spoke slowly, mockingly. "My original skin's dead."

The Doctor shook his head. "Not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out." Cassandra nervously leaned back a little when he raised the sonic screwdriver. "Give her back to me," he ground out, with a hint of desperation he didn't bother to conceal.

Her eyes narrowed. "You asked for it." Cassandra allowed a cloud of energy to burst free from her mouth, directing it at the Doctor.

It became the most dizzying body swap experience of the Doctor's lives. One minute Cassandra would be in his body, the next she would be in Rose's. Psychografts were such unnatural creations, and he could feel through the link every time Cassandra would enter Rose's body, the harsh force of being compressed. Rose's mind and body were becoming exhausted and the Doctor didn't how much more his companion could take. Any patience he had left was paper thin.

When Cassandra exited his body again, he now felt the sonic in his hand and they were all in a lift shaft. "Oh, chavtastic again," Cassandra drawled. "Open it!"

The Doctor made no move for the lift doors. "Not 'til you get out of her."

"We need the Doctor!"

"I order you to leave her," he roared.

Cassandra was in his body for a solid moment before she left again. When he looked down he saw that Cassandra hadn't take over Rose's body again, but one of the sick humans that were climbing after them.

"Oh, sweet lord," Cassandra scoffed, inspecting the hand of the body she'd taken over. "I look disgusting."

After opening the doors, the Doctor reached down for Rose. "Nice to have you back," he smiled brightly at her, relishing being able to finally hold her hand without discomfort. He tried to haul Rose up quickly so he could shut the doors before Cassandra made another move, but they weren't fast enough. The energy cloud flew up to them and invaded Rose's body yet again. Not being able to touch her when Cassandra was in her body, the Doctor had to let go, making Cassandra trip to the floor.

Frustrated, the Doctor closed the lift doors and said, "That was your last warning, Cassandra!"

"Inside that person's head," Cassandra murmured lifelessly, making the Doctor stare down at her. "They're so alone." She swallowed. "They keep reaching out, just to touch us. All their lives and they've never…been…touched."

At her sorrowful expression, the Doctor took a breath. It took Cassandra to literally be in someone else's shoes just for her to understand someone other than herself. He cleared his throat. "Come on," he said, walking passed her but making sure she followed.

The door they went through next opened up to Ward 26, right next to the Face of Boe. That was when the Duke of Manhattan's assistant appeared, armed with a metal stool and yelling a battle cry.

"No, no, no!" The Doctor held his hands up. "We're clean! We're clean! Just look!"

"Show me your skin," Clovis demanded.

The Doctor and Cassandra moved their arms and hands every which way so she could get a better view. "Look, clean," the Doctor repeated. "If we'd been touched, we'd be dead." Satisfied, Clovis nodded and set down the stool. "So how's it going up her? What's the status?"

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards," Clovis said. "I think we're the only ones left. I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad."

"You can't do that," the Doctor said as Clovis began to pace. "If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine."

"I'm not dying in here," Clovis snapped.

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out." He pointed out the window while trying to keep eye contact with her. "There are ten million people in that city. They'd all be at risk." He pointed to the communication device in Clovis' hand. "Now, turn that off!"

"Not if it gets me out!"

The Doctor nodded stiffly. "All right, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me." He took a long look around the ward. "Cassandra, Novice Hame, everyone! Get me the intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!"

Every able bodied person in Ward 26 filled their arms with every bag of fluid they could get their hands on while the Doctor tore apart some metal equipment. The Duke found some rope, and the Doctor grabbed it, tying it around his torso. Every time a bag of solution was brought to him he secured them to the ropes. Within minutes, all the bags were accounted for.

"How's that, you think," the Doctor asked Cassandra. "Will it do?"

Cassandra blinked. "I don't know. Will it do for what?" The Doctor sprinted to the lift. "They're not working."

"Not moving. Different thing," he said, opening the doors with the sonic. "Here we go!" Taking a running start, he leapt into the shaft, grabbing holding of the cable running down the middle.

"What do you think you're doing," Cassandra gasped.

"I'm going down. Come on." He attached the hunk of metal equipment to the cable, essentially creating a completely vertical zip line. The Doctor saw the incredulity written on her face. "I need another pair of hands," he said, gripping the piece of metal and winding his ankles around the cable. "And if you're so desperate to stay alive, why don't you live a little." He quirked his eyebrows at her.

Before Cassandra could decline, Clovis ordered the doors to Ward 26 be shut as more sick humans made their way towards them. With a panicked shriek, she ran to the lift, latching on to the Doctor's back when she jumped. The Doctor cried out, from the extra weight suddenly clinging to him and from the irritation stabbing at his link to Rose. He knew he wouldn't be able to breathe or relax properly until Cassandra physically let go. Unfortunately, he really did need Cassandra as he wouldn't be able to do this alone.

"You're completely mad," Cassandra muttered. "I can see why she likes you."

He couldn't help the small grin as he adjusted the pulley. "Going down!"

Sparks flew from the pulley as they descended at top speed down the shaft, both of them shouting at the top of their lungs. They slowed before reaching the bottom.

"Well," Cassandra exhaled, adjusting herself when they safely touched down. "That's one way to lose weight."

"When I say so," the Doctor explained as he rapidly laid out all the supplies. "Take hold of this lever here." When Cassandra tried to argue, he got in her face and pointed to the lever on the floor. "Hold that lever!" He turned back to the supplies. "I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself." One after the other, he emptied the contents of each solution into the lift's disinfectant tank and with each bag he worked ever faster. He used to be able to feel Rose's tension at being compressed by Cassandra's intrusion, but her discomfort had soon turned into a throbbing ache; Cassandra needed to get out of Rose's body and soon.

"Now," the Doctor said, opening the top hatch of the lift they were standing on. "That lever's going to resist, but hold on to it with everything you've got."

"What about you?"

"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in." With one last look at her, he dropped through the hatch.

Cassandra heard the buzz of the sonic screwdriver and slide of the lift doors opening. She was shocked to hear him calling to the sick humans, coaxing them into the lift with him. "You really are mad," she exclaimed, hoping her words would make him see sense, but he only continued to encourage them.

"Pull that lever," the Doctor suddenly hollered.

With a whine, Cassandra pulled. She tried peering down to where he was standing, but all she could see was the spray of medicine pouring into the open lift. All the while, the Doctor kept calling to them until he was telling them to 'pass it on'. Cassandra tried talking to him from her position, but she was ignored.

With a wide smile, the Doctor reached his hand up for Cassandra to take. Despite the discomfort at this contact, the Doctor was too overjoyed at what had just happened.

"What did they pass on," Cassandra asked when she jumped down to his side. "What? Did you kill them?"

The Doctor shook his head and exited the lift. "That's your way of doing things. I'm the Doctor and I cured them."

All of the humans that were soaked from the lift shower shuffled around with purpose, brushing against one another to spread the medicine. One human after the other were being cleared of their diseases, curing each other.

"It's a new sub-species, Cassandra," the Doctor said with wonder. "A brand new form of life. New humans. Look at 'em! Look!" He kneeled to inspect some of the sitting humans, making sure the medicines he combined worked properly. "Grown by cats, kept in the dark, fed by tubes, but completely, _completely_ alive." He pointed at Cassandra. "And you can't deny them because you helped create them. The human race just keeps on going, keeps on changing." He chuckled giddily. "Life will out!"

* * *

Cassandra had to be one of the most stubborn humans he'd ever met, and that was saying something because he travelled with Rose Tyler. Cassandra refused to leave her body until she was sure she could make a getaway from the Doctor.

"Don't you think you've lived long enough," he growled, keeping his voice low enough so the New New York Police officers wouldn't hear. Cassandra needed to be brought to the justice system, but not until she left his companion's body.

Cassandra only looked him in the eye and shrugged. He buried his face in his hands. Perhaps if he went downstairs for the psychograft, he could do something to reverse or change it. However, that's when he saw some officers carrying the disassembled psychograft out of the hospital to keep as evidence. The Doctor's hands settled for tugging at his hair.

Rose was still in pain, but it hadn't increased in the last half-hour. Too focused on the link, the Doctor just barely registered an officer pushing them off to the side, out of their way. He didn't talk with law enforcement about what had happened, what individuals were responsible, or help clean up any messes. It wasn't his style to do so anyway. The day had been saved, and while that was wonderful and everything turned out best-case-scenario, for once it wasn't enough for him. The invisible connection that tied him to Rose was still stressed and confused, he still couldn't touch her, and she was _still_ in pain.

How was he supposed to win an argument against someone who used to be a bitchy trampoline? The Doctor hadn't realized he was pacing and almost ran face-first into an apprehended Novice Hame. Hame gave him a sour look as she was taken away.

Who was going to take care of the Face of Boe now? "Come on," the Doctor nodded to Ward 26.

Cassandra scoffed. "You just saved us all. I don't have to listen to you anymore."

He rounded on her. "You've taken over someone I care very deeply for. Like hell I'm letting you out of my sight." Casually, he drew back a little. "But go ahead, try to run. The moment you do, I'll tell the nearest officer who that psychograft belonged to. And then they'll force you to exit Rose's body, and you'll pass away. That what you want?"

She sneered at him. "Then you'll have your beloved chav back. Why care about me?"

"'Cause I've yet to see if you're susceptible to some form of compromise. That's what Rose would want." He waved towards Ward 26. "After you."

"What a gentleman," she grumbled with an eye roll.

When they found the Face of Boe, he was still sitting exactly where everyone left him. But he was wide awake, eyes open and calm.

"You missed all the fun," the Doctor said. "It's good to see you well."

"_There are better things to do today_," Boe said. "_Dying can wait_."

"Oh, I hate telepathy," Cassandra mumbled. "Just what I need, a head full of big-face."

"Shh," the Doctor hissed at her. "Don't be so disrespectful. They say he's millions of years old. Isn't that right, big fella?" The Doctor looked at Boe with a light grin.

"_Well, now_," he said with a hint of a chuckle. "_That would be impossible. I have grown tired of the universe, Doctor. But you have taught me to look at it anew_."

The Doctor knelt in front of him. "Novice Hame told me you keep a great secret. One that you…might want to tell me?"

"_Hmm. It can wait_."

"Really? Does it have to?"

"_We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third and final time. And the truth shall be told. Until that day…_" As if he was never there, sitting deathly ill in a corrupt hospital, the Face of Boe teleported away, alive and well.

The Doctor hummed in appreciation. "That is enigmatic. That-that is textbook enigmatic." He pushed his hands against his knees to stand, and spun on his heels. "And now…for you."

Cassandra flexed her jaw as he approached. "You won't ever leave me alone, will you?"

"Not until you get out of her." The Doctor was stoic, too tired and out of patience to convey any other emotions. "I know you're never going to compromise with me." He exhaled. "You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra."

She choked on a sob. "I don't want to die."

"No one does."

"Help me," she begged, eyes watering.

"Mistress!" The Doctor and Cassandra looked up to find Chip staggering towards them. "I kept myself safe, for you, mistress." That's when Cassandra gave a thoughtful hum, and winked at the Doctor.

"Don't you dare," the Doctor exclaimed. "He's got a life of his own."

"But I worship the mistress," Chip countered, knowing Cassandra well enough to understand what she wanted to do. "I welcome her."

The Doctor tried to argue even as Cassandra's energy floated to Chip's body, but he cut himself short when Rose collapsed. He scooped her upright. "I've got you," he told her as she leaned heavily against his chest. "Come on, look at me," he urged, trying to get her to focus on him. Rose shook her head and made eye contact with him. "All right?"

Rose nodded. "Think so, yeah." His face was full of concern and he refused to loosen his hold on her. She gave him a tired smile, hoping to reassure him. "Hello."

The Doctor smiled widely at her, eyes lighting up. "Hello! Welcome back." He hugged her to him, tucking her head under his chin. There was no more tension through the link, no more pain when he touched her, and best of all she didn't seem to be in anymore discomfort, if just a little tired.

"All's well that ends well," the Doctor murmured against her hair. "Let's head back to the TARDIS."

Rose slowly pulled back. "What about her," she said, nodding to Cassandra.

"Oh, sweet lord," Cassandra said to herself, glancing at the arms of the body she now possessed. "I'm a walking doodle."

The Doctor spoke low enough so only Rose could hear. "We'll find one of the NNY officers before we go. They can handle her."

"But we can't just let her stay in Chip's body."

"They have the psychograft. They can use that to free Chip."

Rose nodded. "What do you think they'll do with Cassandra?"

The Doctor couldn't say. He wasn't yet familiar with New New York's laws and penalties, and quite frankly he couldn't find himself to care. Through all her years of life, Cassandra had been the cause of so many deaths. And today, she'd caused Rose pain. He had no sympathy, but Rose did. That's the kind of person she was, compassionate, understanding, and thoughtful, despite having been possessed by Cassandra for most of the day.

The Doctor lightly nudged Rose's shoulder. "I don't want you near her anymore. We'll tell an officer where she's at before we leave," he reminded. "It'll be up to them."

After giving Cassandra a sympathetic glance, Rose and the Doctor made to leave. They didn't even exit the ward when they heard Cassandra fall to her knees. Rose looked frantically at the Doctor, and he nodded.

They each took one of Cassandra's arms and lifted her off the ground. "Poor little Chip," Cassandra exhaled shakily.

"What's happening," Rose asked.

Cassandra shook her head sadly. "He's only a half-life, and he's been through so much. His heart is racing so." She glanced at them. "He's failing. I think I'm dying, but…but that's fine."

"We're going to take you to an officer," the Doctor explained. "They can-"

"No," Cassandra interrupted. "No, you won't. Everything's new. There's no place for Chip and me anymore." She cast her gaze to the floor. "You're right, Doctor. It's time to die." She nodded a little. "And that's good."

The Doctor and Rose looked at each other and shared a silent conversation. Rose was projecting the sympathy she felt, and the Doctor was projecting his lessening apprehension. Finally, he nodded, and their grips tightened as they turned with Cassandra.

"Come on," he said. "There's one last thing we can do."

They took the now working lift down to the lobby, hauling Cassandra as they went. They almost made it to the front doors before Rose had to stop for a moment. The Doctor raised his eyebrows, ready to let go of Cassandra. "No, I'm fine," Rose assured him quickly. "Still a bit dizzy."

The Doctor looked down at Cassandra, struggling to hold in a sarcastic comment. Because of Cassandra, Rose was exhausted and looked like she was about to fall over. The only thing stopping her was that she was still holding onto her arm.

Mercifully, one of the officers jogged over to them. "Everyone all right," he asked.

"Yup," the Doctor responded. "Just on our way home. Been a hell of a day."

The officer eyed Cassandra and Rose. "If these two are still sick, we can't let them out of the hospital. Not until we transfer them to another clinic…Away from _this_ place."

"No, they're just exhausted, we all are. Here, have a look." He flashed the psychic paper. "See? Discharge paper. Clean bill of health." The officer gave them and the paper another once-over before nodding. "I wonder, though," the Doctor continued, after glancing at Rose again. "Would one of you be so kind as to give us a lift?"

* * *

Rose sank down onto the jump seat with a sigh as the Doctor maneuvered them into the vortex. Cassandra's story had finally come to end. Although, dying in the arms of…herself was certainly an unorthodox 'the end', it was a way to come full circle. And Rose also remembered that Cassandra had designed Chip from her favorite pattern. Perhaps that pattern _originally_ came from Chip. Rose's head spun a little.

"You all right," the Doctor asked, sitting down next to her. "Still wibbly?"

She nodded. "Not as bad as before, though."

The Doctor concentrated on Rose's energy. It was no longer burdened by Cassandra, but he currently couldn't get a clear gauge, as if the link had put things on pause. This happened every now and again. Sometimes he could feel her energy clear as day, other times he simply _couldn't_. He really needed to get to the library and do research. He exhaled.

Rose looked at him. "What about you?"

"Me? You know me, I'm always all right," he shrugged. Rose only then noticed that he'd been holding her hand, but she certainly wasn't protesting.

"So," she turned to face him more, which he responded in kind. "The Face of Boe."

"You should've seen him, Rose," he chuckled. "Enigmatic and as alive as ever."

"Guess that hospital was good for something, eh?"

The Doctor scrunched his nose. "Not at your expense." He looked her up and down. "You should go rest."

She squeezed his hand. "I told you, I'm fine."

"And I believe you, but psychografts are banned due to unregulated usage and maintenance. As a result, the victim can suffer damage and even death." He couldn't take his eyes off of hers. "I could've lost you today." The hug was initiated by both of them, but the Doctor was the one to cling the tightest. "Thank you for holding on as long as you did. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You seemed to do just fine with Cassandra today," she said, not being able to hide a little bitterness.

"Yeah, but she's not you. I had to figure out nearly everything on my own. No one to bounce ideas off of."

Rose chuckled against his shoulder. "Shame I wasn't there for you to impress. Er, sort of there."

He pulled back to look at her. "Don't think _you_ don't ever impress me." He touched her cheek briefly and he didn't miss the way her head almost leaned into his hand. "How about we go to the sitting room and put on a movie. And if you haven't fallen asleep by then, we could listen to some music. I've yet to find out what my tastes are." Inwardly, he scolded himself. He should really get to the library…

"Well," Rose started as they stood up. "We already know you like Disney"

"You're right! You know, I think we have a copy of the 2011 Muppet Movie. We can compare it with the 1979 film."

He'd been without Rose for practically the whole day, so to speak. Once again, the library could wait.


	5. Tooth and Claw - Part 1

Chapter 5 – Tooth and Claw Part 1

In his nine hundred years of life, experiencing all the adventures he had and all the mischief he's caused, it still managed to shock him whenever someone pointed a weapon in his direction. Bonus points for having the gall to point it at him, the TARDIS, and his companion all at the same time. After ascertaining that it _wasn't_ 1979, it didn't take him long to realize who they were dealing with. He knew before the carriage door opened, to reveal Queen Victoria. Not shocking, was it, that the Queen had been suspiciously detoured en route due to a downed tree.

"It's funny, though," Rose said, arm laced through the Doctor's as they trekked behind the carriage. "Because you say 'assassination' and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her."

"She's had, oh," the Doctor paused to scratch his ear with his free hand. "Six attempts on her life? And I'll tell you something else." He looked at her with a wide grin. "We just met Queen Victoria! What a laugh!"

Rose chuckled. "She was just sitting there."

"Like a stamp."

She nudged him with her elbow. "I want her to say, 'We are not amused'. I bet you five quid I can make her say it."

He tried to don a serious expression. "Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges as a traveler in time."

Rose smirked. "Ten quid, then?"

"Done," he nodded without hesitation.

"You don't even _have_ ten quid do you?"

"'Course I do! Somewhere."

"'Cause it always seems like I'm the one who pays for chips and stuff."

"Not true," he corrected. "I got us chips during our New Year's holiday."

"Using mum's money." Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't always expect me to have money all the time. I had enough of that with…"

Noticing she stopped talking, he glanced down at her. He looked in her eyes, trying to get her attention, but she was staring straight ahead, jaw set and gaze distant. He couldn't get a feel for her through the link at the moment. So, he shifted their joined arms to hold hands with her, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. This brought Rose back to the present and she gave him a tight smile, and looked away.

"Where'd you go just now," he asked lightly. It was normal for him to be in his own little world, haunted by memories from long ago, but not normal for Rose. She always seemed more put together than him.

"Nowhere," she shrugged. "It…doesn't really matter. Not anymore." The Doctor opened his mouth, possibly to pry further, and Rose just wasn't up for that right then. "Who's James McCrimmon," she blurted, needing the subject to change.

The Doctor's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "It…was the name I used for myself just now."

"Oh," Rose blinked. "It just sounded really specific. I thought you'd gotten it from somewhere."

Blimey, one minute they were bantering about money, the next they were trying to psychoanalyze each other. He'd known her for over a year now, and while imprinting on her was definitely a surprise, how the hell did she still manage to keep him on his toes?

They were silent for a long time, both of them sensing the need for a bit of a distance. However, the Doctor was kind of eager to break it. He didn't have to read Rose's energy to know how put-out she probably felt, how she always wanted to know more about him. It was easier in his previous body, to keep things to himself. The man he used to be was more of a soldier than he was now, and he'd used it as a mask, hiding himself behind pain and anguish. He made it obvious so people would naturally distance themselves out of respect.

That didn't work on Rose. She always had questions, was always willing to argue back, and never put up with his nonsense, but at the same time she never really pried him. She would let him vent, let him babble, and had no problem voicing her opinions or bantering back, but she never tore open old wounds or cornered him. Yet, here she was, blatantly asking him about his past. He should feel offended, angry even. Instead, he was fascinated, at her boldness and at how okay he felt. Her question blindsided him, but he wasn't as uncomfortable as he should've been.

He exhaled. It was hard to deny her anything anyway.

"He was an old friend," the Doctor said quietly.

Rose gave his hand a squeeze. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"Well, you did ask," he shrugged. "Jamie was a hell of a man. Headstrong at times, but a friend to the end."

"So, he travelled with you, then," Rose asked, not completely meeting his gaze.

"Oh, yeah," he nodded once. "Long time ago."

Rose allowed the wind to whip her hair into her face until she could straighten her composure. Of course the Doctor had other companions before her. He was nine hundred years old! She shouldn't be feeling…well, she wasn't quite sure what it was. Definitely some jealousy, but also the sense of emptiness at feeling left out of something.

The Doctor didn't say anything else at Rose's silence, and he was actually disappointed by that. He was never really one to share his past with new companions, and Rose wasn't new and she certainly wasn't just a companion now. He was willing to share things with her now more than ever. But he'd never felt the need to do so before he met her, so finding the right words was a challenge for him, despite his newfound love of talking.

"Woah," Rose breathed.

The Doctor looked in the direction she was staring. A grand stone and granite house centered a courtyard with subjects out front waiting to welcome the Queen. The Doctor gave a low whistle of appreciation at the telescope perched halfway out of the roof.

They came to a stop and the Queen stepped out of the carriage. A young gentleman exited the house with a bald man in tow. He gave a bow. "Your Majesty," he greeted with a friendly grin.

"Sir Robert," Victoria nodded. "My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?"

"She's indisposed, I'm afraid," Robert said, calmness fading. "She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her. The kitchens are barely stocked. I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on." The Doctor quirked an eyebrow. With every word, the man seemed more and more flustered. Rose noticed this too, and glanced at the Doctor, who shrugged. It could just be that Robert was feeling embarrassed for not being prepared for the Queen.

"Oh, I've had quite enough carriage exercise." Victoria peered around her. "And this is charming if…rustic. It's my first visit to the house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside?" She glanced sideways at Rose. "And please excuse the naked girl."

"She's a feral child," the Doctor explained conversationally in his fake accent. "I bought her for sixpence in old London Town." He looked down, trying not to grin as he watched her shoulders twitch with hidden laughter. "It was either her or the Elephant Man, so…."

Rose rolled her eyes. "He thinks he's funny, but I'm so not amused. What do you think, ma'am?"

"It hardly matters," Victoria said, striding regally to the house.

"So close," Rose whispered to the Doctor, and it was his turn to roll his eyes.

The Queen's men began straightening up the carriage, and then they took out a lockbox and carried it into the Estate.

"So, what's in there, then," the Doctor asked.

"Property of the crown," the Queen's main guard, Reynolds, barked. "You will dismiss all further thoughts."

The Doctor threw Rose a scolded look, and they proceeded to walk through the front doors as Reynolds gave more orders to his men. They'd just caught up with Victoria and Robert and were led into the Observatory that held the telescope.

"This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour," Victoria asked.

"All my father's work," Robert nodded. "Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this rather than caring for the house, or himself."

"I wish I'd met him, I'd like him," the Doctor smiled. "That thing's beautiful. Can I...?" Robert nodded. The Doctor and Rose approached the telescope. "What did he model it on," the Doctor asked as he inspected Robert's father's handiwork.

"I know nothing about it," Robert said. "To be honest, most of us thought him a little, shall we say, eccentric." He shook his head sadly. "I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories."

"It's a bit rubbish," the Doctor mused, heedless to everyone's offence. "How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top." As he rambled, he stepped around the telescope, closer to Rose who stood by listening to his rant with mild amusement. "That's stupid kind of-" He got close to Rose's ear when he felt her pat his arm. "Am I being rude again?"

"Yeah," she said, not bothering to whisper.

"But it's pretty," he crowed, turning to face his audience. "It's very…pretty."

"And the imagination of it should be applauded," Victoria added.

Rose hummed dramatically. "Thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing, isn't that a bit fanciful? You could easily not be amused or something…No?"

Victoria paused briefly to regard her before looking back at the telescope. "This device…"

The Doctor whispered to Rose as Victoria spoke. "I'm going to win," he teased.

"Just you wait," Rose whispered. "You'll be owing me ten quid-worth of chips and ice cream before you know it."

"It's a date," he winked at her, unable to help grinning at her blush. He turned back towards Robert and Victoria. "What's this I keep hearing about wolves," he interrupted.

"It's just a story," Robert assured quickly.

"Then, tell it."

Robert's mouth opened and closed. He glanced behind him, and seemingly from nowhere was the bald guy standing stoically behind him. Angelo, they called him.

Robert's voiced stuttered. "It's said-"

"Excuse me, sir," Angelo cut him off, and Robert respectfully closed his mouth. "Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark."

"Of course. Yes, of course." Robert agreed swiftly, his face unreadable.

"And then supper," Victoria suggested. "And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness."

"It's not amusing, is it?"

Victoria ignored Rose. "Sir Robert, your wife must have left some clothes. See to it." She spoke as they walked back into the hall. "We shall dine at seven, and talk some more of this wolf. After all, there is a full moon tonight," she quipped, composed face lit slightly with wonder.

"So there is, ma'am," Robert nodded as he escorted the Queen to her room, already being guarded by two of her men.

Robert guided the Doctor and Rose further through the halls, and pointed to two doors opposite of each other. "These shall be your rooms for your stay."

"Oh, Rose and I-" The Doctor stopped himself. Normally, they shared a room wherever they stayed, but given the time period this would probably be considered improper, and he didn't want either them being kicked out. The Doctor wanted to hear more about wolves, and if it was related to the daftly-set telescope. He realized Robert was waiting for him to continue. "I mean," he shook his head. "I won't be needing my room at this time, but I would like to hear some more tales."

Robert nodded reluctantly. "We can talk on our way to the dining room. Everything still needs to be prepared for Her Majesty."

"Are you that short on staff," Rose asked, tilting her head.

"We, um," Robert stammered, visibly tensing. "We had no idea she was coming, until the accident on the rail, that is."

"We can help you set up," the Doctor suggested.

"That's not necessary," Robert said. "You and Her Majesty are our guests. And anyway, the Queen has asked for your…companion to be properly dressed. Now, Doctor, if you'll follow me." He turned towards the direction of the kitchen.

The Doctor faced Rose. "See you at dinner?"

"It's a date," she grinned, tongue between her teeth. She looked at the door to her bedroom. "God, I hope I don't have to wear a corset."

"You could probably forgo that," he shrugged. "Something long and flowing would be appropriate for this time period, but you don't have to wear anything you don't want to. I _rarely_ ever change what _I_ wear."

"Well, the Queen's not too happy about what I have on now."

"She already thinks you're a feral child. You could probably come to dinner like this and no one would be surprised. The look on Her Majesty's face…" The Doctor chuckled.

Rose's face lit up. "You're right! Then, she _really_ wouldn't be amused."

"Oh, that's right, can't let you win the bet," the Doctor hummed. He nodded to the bedroom. "Well, go on," he smirked at her. "Can't keep good Queen Vicky waiting forever. Ooh, imagine trying to say that five times fast."

Rose rolled her eyes with a grin as he did, in fact, try to say it five times fast. She put her hand on the doorknob, but stopped and turned when she felt the Doctor touch her shoulder. "No wandering off, yeah?"

Rose fully turned to face him and dropped her voice. "Something's not quite right here, is it?"

He shook his head. "Tree on the line, nervous host, creepy old bald man, and they keep talking about wolves."

Rose's fact split into a wide grin. "Sounds like an adventure to me."

He gave a tight grin and shook his head. "I never like it when we're separated."

"It'll only be for about an hour. Can't miss this dinner date you promised me." The Doctor was no longer smiling, and instead was looking nervously down the hall in the direction of the dining room. She touched his arm once. "I'll see you at dinner," she said before opening the door and closing it behind her.

The Doctor flexed his jaw. He contemplated waiting outside her door for her. Not just to be on the safe side, but he also would've liked to be all gentlemanly and escort her to dinner. However, Angelo had disappeared. This was his opportunity to speak with Robert without the man being under intimidating scrutiny. The Doctor's eyes slipped close. He was still having trouble feeling Rose's emotions today, but her overall presence in his soul was ever there, permanent. As such, he always had a vague understanding of where she was.

That was enough reassurance for the Doctor to trail after Robert.

* * *

Rose went through dress after dress, honestly having fun. Although, some weren't her taste, she was fascinated with how intricately they were designed. No quality quite like these existed in her time. Her goal was to find something to slip on over her dungarees, just to be prepared. She knew from experience that a long, heavy dress was not conducive to running for your life.

Not finding anything to her liking, she noticed a smaller wardrobe and opened its doors. Rose gave a startled yelp. Inside was a young woman, not much older than Rose. She was shaking terribly, wide terrified eyes locked on Rose.

"You okay," Rose asked after a moment. The woman's mouth moved up and down. "Why don't you come out of there?"

Her eyes widened impossibly more. "No, no, please! They'll take me, too!"

"There's no one in here but us. Come sit down." Rose gently took the woman's lower arm, guiding her slowly out of the wardrobe to sit on the bed. "You like pale as a ghost."

The woman continued shaking. "They came through the house," she stammered. "In the excitement, they took the Steward, the Master, my Lady-"

Rose put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to slow her down. "Listen," she said softly. "I've got a friend. He's called the Doctor. He'll know what to do. You've got to come with me." When Rose made to stand, the woman became more panicked. "What's your name?"

"Flora," she murmured.

"Flora, we'll be safe. There's people downstairs, soldiers and everything, and they can help us. I promise. Come on, okay?" Rose put a hand on the doorknob, and she smiled warmly when Flora reluctantly followed.

Rose walked cautiously into the hallway, making sure Flora was right behind her. Her eye caught something, the shine of a leather boot, on the floor. She turned completely around the corner to find two of the Queen's guards lying comatose.

"Oh, miss," Flora whimpered at the sight. "I did warn you."

Rose took a guard's pulse. "He's not dead." She shook her head, looking them over. "I don't think. They must be drugged or something."

Flora gave a muffled scream, making Rose reel around. However, her knees were forced to give out as an arm wrapped her chest like a vice and another hand slapped over her mouth. She screamed and struggled, twisting her body, trying to bite at the hand on her face, anything for her captor to loosen their hold.

"Good God," the monk that had Rose gritted his teeth.

"Having trouble there," Rose heard one of the other monks snicker, most likely the one that had Flora. She tried twisting her head around to get an idea of where they were being taken, but to no avail.

"Feral child, indeed," he growled, tightening his hold until Rose was almost choking.

Next thing Rose knew, she was dumped to the ground. A knee to her back held her down as manacles and chains fastened around her wrists. After the knee was removed, she took a much needed breath, the spots in her vision now fading.

She bolted upright when a door closed, signaling the monks' departure. They had left her and Flora with a group of others, all appeared to be staff or residents of the Estate, and all were chained to the wall like she was. They were in a sort of dungeon or cellar, and at the center of the room sat a boy in a cage.

"Are you all right, Isobel," Flora asked.

"Don't make a sound," Isobel hushed her. "They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us."

"But he's in a cage," Rose remarked. "He's a prisoner. He's the same as us."

"He's nothing like us," Isobel whispered sharply. "That creature is not mortal."

The boy shifted in his cage, making everyone freeze. When his eyes opened, they were black as pitch, making everyone except Rose shift further back against the wall.

"Where is your Doctor," Flora whimpered. "You said he'd help us."

"He doesn't know where we are," Rose shook her head as she slowly stood up. She began walking over to the cage.

"Don't child," Isobel warned.

The chains at her wrists stopped her from getting closer. "Who are you," Rose asked, ignoring the scolding from the Steward. "Where are you from? You're not from Earth. What planet are you from?"

"Oh," the boy drawled lazily. "Intelligence."

"Where were you born?"

"This body." He tilted his head curiously at her. "Ten miles away. A weakling, heartsick boy, stolen away at night by the brethren for my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart."

"All right," Rose nodded in understanding. They talked for a while, Rose trying to figure him out, and him regarding her with a fascinated stare that unsettled her. In the end, he wanted to take over power and authority.

"How would you do that," Rose asked.

"I would migrate to the Holy Monarch."

"You mean Queen Victoria?"

The boy nodded minutely. "With one bite, I would pass into her blood. And then it begins, the Empire of the Wolf." He lunged at the bars, the clang echoing around the cellar, making everyone nearly jump out of their skins. "Look! Inside your eyes," he exclaimed. "You've seen it, too."

"Seen what," Rose gasped, voice wavering.

"The Wolf! There is something of the Wolf about you." Rose shook her head, both afraid and confused. The boy bared his teeth at her, as if suddenly offended that she was in his territory. "You burn like the sun, but all I require is the moon."

Rose shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I came with someone. He's from another planet, too," she said, trying to change the boy's mind. "We can take you home. You wouldn't have to-"

"Why would I want anything from something like you," he snarled, giving the bars a rattle. "What are you?"

Rose didn't have a chance to even think of an answer. The cellar doors banged open, moonlight illuminating the darkness. The boy rested his cheek against the bars. "Moonlight," he whispered serenely. As a strong wind blew in, the boy began removing his cloak.

Sensing the urgency in the air, Rose grabbed hold of her chains, ignoring the metal biting into her wrists. "All of you!" She turned to everyone. "Stop looking at it and listen to me! Grab hold of the chain and pull! Come on, pull!" While everyone rallied, she saw that Lady Isobel sat frozen. "And that means you too, your Ladyship. Now come on, pull!"

As they pulled the chain, encouraging each other on, Rose kept her eyes on the boy. He was writhing, twitching, and screeching. Little by little, his body was transforming, bones warping and bending beneath his skin. Rose had been captured nearly an hour ago. Surely the Doctor realized she was missing. Where was he? Rose tugged at the chain harder, desperately.

With a final pull, they broke free, most of the chains falling to the floor in a heap. When Rose looked back up, the stranger was no longer a boy. He was a wolf in a cage, and its bars were bending and splitting in an effort to adjust to his size.

The door she and Flora and been brought through burst open, revealing an astonished Robert and a determined Doctor.

"Where the hell have you been," Rose exclaimed as she plucked away the last of her chains.

The Doctor's eyes landed on her and Rose could see the look of sheer relief that crossed over his features. However, the beast gave a roar and the Doctor spun to gaze at it. "Oh, that's beautiful."

Robert and Rose were rushing everyone out the door while the Doctor marveled. He couldn't stand there for long, and when the wolf threw the bars of the cage at them, the Doctor swiveled and ran for the door, pushing Rose ahead of him.

The wolf's howl echoed through the Estate.

When they arrived by an armory cupboard, they all started chatting and strategizing. After Rose's insistence on unshackling everyone before her, he eventually and swiftly made his way back to her side.

"Why didn't you lock the door to the cellar," Rose asked as the Doctor worked the screwdriver over her wrists.

"What? Oh. I broke it when I kicked the door in," he said quickly. There was something unreadable in his features as the shackles fell to the ground.

"Couldn't you have just opened it with the sonic? There's nothing stopping him from going after us now."

"A locked door wouldn't be enough to stop him, anyway. He just transformed. He'll be tired at first. That's the only thing that's buying us time." He rubbed her wrists soothingly. "Are you hurt?" When Rose shook her head, he crushed her to him. The chaos around them seemed to melt away, and Rose finally noticed how much the Doctor was shaking. "I couldn't feel it," he murmured against her hair. "Why couldn't I feel it?" His tone was full of strain and confusion.

"Feel what," Rose asked against his shoulder.

The Doctor froze for only a split second. Then, he pulled back to look at her. "What I mean is…How did I not know you were in danger?"

"You couldn't have known we were going to be fed to that…thing for dinner."

He only hummed distantly. Another howl rippled through the building. He turned quickly back to Rose. "It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths. Did it say what it wanted?"

"The Queen, the Crown, the throne," Rose listed. "You name it."

There was the sound wood splintering, and a crash. Then, came a foreboding silence. The Doctor nodded stiffly to everyone before going to investigate. At the end of the hallway stood the wolf, raised upright on his back paws. The Doctor held his breath as he shared a staring contest with the creature. The wolf lifted his lips, and gave a short growl.

The Doctor sprung to action, spinning around and running back to everyone with the wolf racing after him. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and they stood behind Robert's men. With the wolf closing in on the room, the gunmen took position, and the Doctor angled Rose behind his body, not taking his eyes off the door and not taking his arm off her waist.

The wolf arrived in the doorway, and Robert's men did not hesitate. They opened fire.


	6. Tooth and Claw - Part 2

Chapter 6 - Tooth and Claw

They all learned very quickly that nothing could physically stop it, no matter what their guns did. It only made the wolf more and more irate and determined to do damage. Though they were all still in horrible danger, the Doctor could never deny that he was always delighted when weapons were useless. From his experience, brain almost always won out over brawn, or at the very least should. And he could tell by the way Rose flinched at the gunfire that she was probably thinking along the same lines.

The Doctor, Rose and Robert legged it until they almost literally ran into the Queen. Knowing what the wolf wanted, they tried to escape, only to find that Angelo's monks were guarding the doors and windows. Getting out wasn't going to happen.

"Do they know who I am," Victoria demanded.

"Yeah, that's why they want you," Rose said quickly. "The wolf's lined you up for a…biting."

"Now stop this talk," she scoffed. "There can't be an actual-"

The window they were standing by rattled against its frame as another howl ripped through the grounds. They ran out into the corridor at the bottom of the staircase, listening to the wolf's claws hitting the hardwood floor as it made its way to the other end of the house. It was moving straight for them.

"What do we do," Rose asked.

"We…" the Doctor said, not yet looking at her. "Run."

"Is that it?!"

"Not unless you got any silver bullets! No? Well, there we are then, we run."

"What about Her Majesty," Robert demanded.

"Your Majesty." The Doctor turned to the Queen after not bothering to hide an eye roll. "As a Doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog. Good for the health. Now that that's settled, let's move!" He quickly went around the Queen to the staircase, and placed his hand against the small of Rose's back, urging her to go ahead of them. They could now hear the wolf's frantic grunting as it came ever closer.

Soon, the stairs were shaking beneath their feet as the beast ran after them. It was a short-lived relief when they finally got to the top. At least they were level now, making the running a little easier. As a result, they gained more distance. Rose ran until her legs burned; She was at the front of the party and she wouldn't allow anyone to fall behind or slow down because of her.

"Duck," Rose yelled, nearly running smack into the barrel of a gun before dodging out the way.

Everyone maneuvered behind Reynolds. Once again, the wood beneath them shook and the wolf sprung from the shadows. Reynolds fired his gun. With a pained scream, the wolf turned away down another hall.

They clutched their sides to revel in the brief respite.

"I'll take this position and hold it," Reynolds said. "You keep moving, for god's sake!" He looked at the Queen, who was visibly flustered from the running, though she kept a firm stance, head held high in royal dignity. "Your Majesty, I went to look for the property and it was taken. The chest was empty."

"I have it," Victoria breathed. "It's safe."

Reynolds nodded. "Then remove yourself, ma'am. Doctor, you stand as her Majesty's Protector. And you, Sir Robert…you're a traitor to the crown."

"Bullets can't stop it," the Doctor tried to reason. "You should come with us."

"They'll buy you time," he countered. "Now, run!"

On cue, the wolf turned its head around the corner, its yellow teeth shining in the light of a candelabra. When Reynolds resumed firing the revolver, everyone took that as their cue to run. Robert pushed the Queen into the library, leaving its doors open for Rose and the Doctor. The Doctor had to catch himself from knocking into Rose when she turned suddenly, watching in horror as the wolf bit at Reynolds.

She hadn't realized the Doctor took hold of her waist and pulled her into the library until its doors slammed shut, knocking her out of her frozen state. They grabbed whatever they could find, bookshelves, chairs, candleholders, anything that could be used to barricade them in, and the wolf out.

"Wait a minute, wait," the Doctor whispered harshly. Everyone stopped. The Doctor put his ear up to the door, listening to the wolf's pacing on the other side. The pacing started to recede. "It's stopped. I think it's gone."

"Listen," Rose suddenly said. The wolf's stalking had returned. This time, it was coming from a different part of the hallway.

"Is this the only door," the Doctor whispered.

Robert nodded, but then, "No!"

They ran full tilt to barricade the other door, but that didn't stop the wolf from continuing its taunt. Robert put himself in front of the Queen, ready to defend her. The Doctor moved protectively closer to Rose, until she could almost feel the coolness of his body through both their clothes. They could hear it moving around the outer edges of the library, hunting for a way in.

"What's stopping it," Rose mused.

"Something inside this room," the Doctor replied, gazing about, but not moving away from her. "What is it? Why can't it get in?" He exhaled when the noises stopped. Although, he couldn't tell whether the wolf had left, or was simply biding its time.

Having taken more notice of their close proximity, Rose finally looked up at him. "I'll tell you what, though."

He looked sharply at her. "What?"

She grinned widely. "Werewolf!"

The Doctor tilted his head back to give a laugh. "I know!" They threw their arms around each other. "You all right," the Doctor asked, pulling back just enough to look in Rose's eyes.

"I told you it sounded like an adventure," she said. "Hey, didn't we make a bet after that whole thing with the Gelth? About if we ever found a werewolf? I think you owe me five quid."

He shook his head. "I told you, Rose, time travelers don't gamble." Her grin widened and she batted her eyes, but only once. Once was enough. "And anyway, it was seven quid," he said, trying to get the last word. He suppressed his defeated groan. "I'm sure I have some money…somewhere in the TARDIS."

"You're gonna need more than that after I win _this_ bet."

As they bantered lightly, they didn't notice the Queen's glare of absolute astonishment. She could not, for the life of her, understand how these strangers could suddenly be so accepting and comfortable of such a situation!

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Robert sighed, his apology causing everyone to look at him. "It's my fault. I should have sent you away." He shrugged, not looking Her Majesty in the eyes. "I tried to suggest that something was wrong, that I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"

"Well," the Doctor butted in before the Queen could answer. "They were bald…athletic…your wife's away...I just thought you were happy." They stared at the Doctor.

Rose broke the silence. "Ma'am, I bet you're not amused now."

"Do you think this funny," Victoria snapped. She looked wildly around the library. "Someone, please, tell me…what, pray tell, exactly was that creature?"

"You'd call it a werewolf," the Doctor supplied smoothly. "But technically it's more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform."

"And should I trust you, sir," the Queen demanded. "You, who changes his voice so easily?" She ignored the Doctor's stutter to glance briefly at Rose. "And you've been appointed as my Protector, yet you prioritize this feral child over your Queen! I'll not have it," she exclaimed, disregarding the Doctor's glowering. "No, sir. Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is not my world!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Rose spoke evenly as the Queen looked even further offended. "But it's not like you can just ignore what's happening. Whether you think it's your world or not, there's still a wolf out there." She turned around to watch the Doctor walk back to one of the barricaded doors. "What's stopping it from just ripping the door down?"

The Doctor looked closely at the door, and traced his fingers over a pattern carved into the wood. "Mistletoe," he said with a thoughtful hum. Not looking away from the carving, he asked, "Sir Robert, did your father put this here?"

Unsure, Robert shook his head, trying to keep up with the sudden change in topic and mood within the room. "I don't know, I suppose."

The Doctor's gaze travelled around, and he found interesting symmetry in the fact that the same design was on the other door. "That one, too," he said. "But a carving wouldn't be enough. I wonder…" Rose rolled her eyes, while everyone just looked disgusted, as the Doctor licked the door. "Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe." His eyes lit up. "It's been worked into the wood like a varnish. How clever was your dad? Powerful stuff, mistletoe," he chatted as he waltzed over to the bookcases. "Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."

"And the wolf's allergic to it," Rose asked.

"Or it thinks it is. The monkey monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf. Maybe they trained it to react against certain things."

"Nevertheless," Robert said sharply. "That creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess actual weapons."

The Doctor groaned. "Your father got all the brains, didn't he?"

"Being rude again," Rose sing-songed.

"Ah, good, I meant that one." He spun to face the shelves. "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have." He tossed Rose and Robert each a book. "Arm yourselves."

The library was abuzz with pages turning and hardbacks clapping. Everyone was talking at once, voicing potential subjects, but they kept coming up just short of any real information they could use. Rose placed more books on one of the desks. The Doctor glanced at the stack, and then reached for one of them.

"Hold on, what's this," the Doctor said, making everyone stop. A moment rolled by before he spoke again. "Look at what your old dad found." Robert stood by him to look at the picture. It depicted a large ball of light ready to crash land to the ground. "Something fell to Earth."

"A spaceship," Rose wondered.

"A shooting star." Robert began to read aloud. "'In the year of our Lord 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit.'" He stopped. "That's the Glen of Saint Catherine, just by the monastery."

"But that's over three hundred years ago," Rose raised an eyebrow. "What's it been waiting for?"

Victoria tried to keep up with their findings and musings, but then 'the Empire of the Wolf' was mentioned, and her eyes slammed shut for the briefest of seconds before she composed herself.

The Queen cleared her throat, and opened her handbag. "Sir Robert…if I am to die here-"

"Don't say that, Your Majesty," Robert interrupted as politely as he could.

Victoria shook her head slightly. "I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me. But that's no matter. I ask only that you find someplace of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself."

"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables," the Doctor said, him and Rose not looking up from the book.

"Thank you for your opinion," she replied curtly. "But there is nothing more valuable than this."

The diamond she held in her palm glinted off of moon and candlelight, its wondrous sparkle enough to drag Rose and the Doctor away from their work.

"Is that the Koh-I-Noor," Rose gasped.

"The greatest diamond in the world," the Doctor responded. After Her Majesty's permission, he gently plucked it from her hand. "That's beautiful."

"Given to me as the spoils of war," Victoria explained. Her gaze flicked once to one of the barricaded doors. "Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die."

"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough," he quipped.

He held it up to Rose. "How much is it worth," she asked, her fingertips stroking the gem, as if she could really touch the tiny rainbows shining within.

"They say the wages of the entire planet for a whole week."

"Good thing my mum's not here," she giggled. "She'd be fighting off the wolf with her bare hands for this thing."

"She'd win, too," he grinned. "Maybe we can find her a replica somewhere."

"It'll make up for the money you used on our holiday," she said with her usual cheek.

"And you say I'm rude," the Doctor said.

While Robert inspected the room and listened for the wolf, the Queen told them that she travelled with the diamond often. She always brought it to a jeweler to get it cut, and cut, and cut.

"He always said," she explained. "The shine was not quite right. But he died with it still unfinished."

"Unfinished…Oh, yes," the Doctor exclaimed, abruptly tossing the Koh-I-Noor back to the Queen. "There's a lot of unfinished business in this house."

The Doctor ranted a mile a minute, trying to piece together things that seemed unconnected, but absolutely had to be. He kept bringing up the diamond, the books, the research, the way the house was built, all while everyone watched him hurriedly pace.

"I don't think he's taken a breath," Robert observed. He suddenly noticed the calmness on Rose's face, and leaned towards her. "I take it this is a common occurrence?"

Rose shrugged. "He's not really waiting for us to respond. It's just how he does his best thinking sometimes."

Robert tilted his head. "You seem to be following all of this quite easily."

She chuckled a little. "I've been doing this kind of stuff with him for over a year now. This is just another day for us."

"No, I mean his ranting." Robert paused. "He doesn't look at you like you're feral. He seems to consider you his equal. Pardon my curiosity, but are you two joined at all."

"What do you…oh. No, no we're just mates," Rose replied quickly, a blush tinting her face.

The Doctor started talking about a trap within a trap, gesticulating randomly at the Queen.

Robert shook his head with slight amusement. "You should've seen him at dinner. The moment he realized something was amiss, he wasted no time in setting out to find you. I've no doubt he would move Heaven and Earth for you." He sighed quietly with a small smile. "I've been told that's how I look at Isobel."

Rose opened her mouth, but she wasn't even sure how to respond to that. She didn't get the chance to, as the sound of creaking glass met their ears. Everyone fell silent, all eyes drifting to the ceiling. The wolf was right over their heads, standing on the skylight, glass groaning and cracking under its weight.

"That wolf there," the Doctor deadpanned. "Out…Get out!"

They stripped away the barricade. Just as the wolf fell to the floor, the Doctor slammed the library doors shut. It was simply to buy them a little time, but the wolf destroyed it before they made it down the hall. As they bolted for the Observatory, the Doctor almost instantly discovered with horror that Rose wasn't in his sights. Just as he swiveled to turn around, she let out a terrified scream that pierced his entire being.

Just as the wolf made to grab for her, a wave of boiling liquid splashed it. Isobel and the other women had appeared, armed with a cooking pot that had held the liquid. Howling in agony, the wolf sprinted away.

"Good shot," the Doctor crowed, noting the scent of mistletoe oil that permeated the air. He cupped Rose's cheek, eyes glancing over her worriedly. After Rose gave him a quick nod, he reluctantly pulled away from her. Before Isobel left with her team, the Doctor stopped her for a moment to mouth a 'thank you'.

The Doctor gave Robert a second to collect himself, knowing how anxious the man must be from being separated from his wife yet again. Noticing all eyes were on him, Robert said, "The Observatory's this way!"

They arrived and opened the doors to their destination, and they could hear the wolf growling from a different part of the house. A clear warning that it was on its way.

"No mistletoe," the Doctor said, scanning the doors. "Your father wanted the wolf to get inside, but we need time." He glanced over it more thoroughly. "Is there any way of barricading this-"

"Just do your work," Robert said, stepping out of the Observatory. "And I'll defend it."

"We could-"

"I said, I'll defend it," he interrupted. "And give you time. Now close the doors. Remember, you're her Protector." Robert didn't miss the way the Doctor almost glanced behind him, and that this glance wasn't meant for the Queen.

The Doctor nodded solemnly, knowing a dedicated a soldier when he saw one. "Good man," he commented without emotion. Then, he closed the doors as tightly as he could, though there was no way of locking it.

The Doctor faced Victoria. "Your Majesty, the diamond."

Victoria blinked. "For what purpose?!"

"The purpose it was designed for."

Victoria contemplated, for much too long in the Doctor's opinion, but the diamond did once belong to her late husband. Finally, she handed it over, and the Doctor stuffed it into one of his pockets.

He bolted over to the wheel that controlled the directions of the telescope, beckoning Rose to join him.

"I don't think," Rose grunted, using every last bit of her energy to help the Doctor turn the wheel. "this is the right time for stargazing."

"Yes it is," he countered through gritted teeth, constantly looking up at the sky.

"I thought you said this thing doesn't work."

"Not as a telescope. It's a light chamber. It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up."

Rose followed where he kept staring. The telescope was slowly lining itself up with the Full Moon. She huffed, and was starting to feel the day's exhaustion. "But the wolf needs moonlight. It's made by moonlight."

"You're seventy percent water, but you can still drown." He could see that Rose was slowing down, could hear the wolf tearing Robert apart from outside the Observatory. He looked directly into Rose's eyes, then back at the moon. "Come on! We're almost there, come on!"

Rose inhaled and, after she felt like she caught her second wind, put a little more strength into the wheel. They watched in wonder as the moon fell in alignment, its light shining and bouncing its way down and through the telescope, until a beam of light hit the floor.

The wolf burst through, the door splintering in all directions. It hovered over Victoria as she screamed and raised her hands to her face. Nearly tearing his suit pocket, the Doctor tossed the Koh-I-Noor into the beam. The light veered upwards, hitting the wolf and lifting it off the floor. The light haloed the creature, warping it until a young man hovered in its place.

With a huff that sounded almost relieved, the man said, "Make it brighter." He was staring at the Doctor. "Let me go."

Without a word, the Doctor took his time in turning a dial on the side of the telescope. Rose and Victoria shielded their eyes as the room was almost blinded. The howl of a wolf filled the Estate for the last time as the man vanished, and the moonlight fell out of alignment with the telescope, leaving only candles to illuminate the room.

Rose slouched in relief. The Doctor inhaled happily, finally able to feel her emotions after a long day of feeling nothing. He didn't realize until just then how much he missed being able to read her like that. The Doctor picked up the diamond, ready to hand it to Queen Victoria…until he saw her fingers playing at her palm and wrist.

"Your Majesty," he said, with a quirked a brow. "Did it bite you?"

"No, it's just a cut, is all," she replied breathlessly, not taking her eyes off her skin. The Doctor started to step closer, trying to gaze over her shoulder to get a look. "A splinter of wood when the door came apart…It's nothing."

"Let me see-"

Victoria positioned her hands firmly at her sides and spun to face him. "It is nothing." She stared at him, but he didn't press the matter. With a heavy sigh, she looked around her, at the remaining carnage that'd been done to her husband's Estate. "I shall have my…remaining subjects take care of the…damage." With a sniff, she straightened. "I think it's time we rested. I ask that you both meet with me in the drawing room after sunrise. If you'll excuse me, I must go find Lady Isobel." With that, the Queen took the Koh-I-Noor, and turned away.

"Would you like us to escort you, Your Majesty," the Doctor offered, but the Queen had already left the Observatory.

The Doctor stepped over the destroyed pieces of the door to peer into the hallway. "How…bad does it look out there," Rose asked, hesitantly walking towards him.

"Well…the wolf certainly did damage," the Doctor stated carefully. "To the point where there's barely anything in left."

Rose slapped a hand over her mouth, now understanding what the Doctor meant. Blood had painted the floor where Robert once stood, some of it splattered on the walls and ceiling. Nothing else was left from him besides some shreds of clothes. And all the way down the hall was another large smattering of blood and torn fabric, from Reynolds.

"You all right," the Doctor asked her.

"Yeah," Rose nodded slowly, clearing her throat. "I probably won't get any sleep tonight, but…And you?"

The Doctor nodded back. "Vicky's alive, the wolf's been dealt with, history should remain intact. And you're safe." He took her hand and guided them back to their rooms. "That's all that matters to me."

They walked in peaceful silence, minding where they stepped, avoiding excess debris, and respectfully walking around the remains of the deceased. Rose sighed in relief when they made it to her bedroom. When they walked in, Rose immediately sank onto the bed. She sat up and watched as the Doctor undid a button from his suit collar and sat down on one of the reading chairs.

"They're gonna find it improper," Rose grinned jokingly. "Us sharing a room."

"Ooh, let them," he waved his hand dismissively. "They think you're incorrigible and that I'm a liar. As if this would be any more or less scandalous." He looked out the window while Rose made her way under the covers. "Looks like our monkey friends vanished. No reason to stay now that their deity has literally vanished."

Rose didn't say anything, she'd already fallen asleep. The Doctor gazed at her from where he was sitting. Her face was serene, eyelids relaxed, and her mouth was slightly parted. While the Doctor used his thoughts to entertain himself, he kept a close eye on Rose for any signs of nightmares. His eyes were closed for the most part, too, except he wasn't sleeping. He kept reaching for the link, searching for any feelings of fear or anxiety. Rose had a knack for keeping a level head in perilous situations. Not much scared her, so it startled him a little when she said she might not get any sleep tonight.

The Doctor's eyes snapped open when the bed creaked. At first, nothing seemed out of sorts with her. So, he glanced out the window, noting that the sky's hue was beginning to change from late night to early morning.

He was on his feet when he heard Rose groan. Before he even knew it, he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her jaw was set, and a crease had formed between her brows. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rose, Rose, wake up," he called gently.

Instead of awakening, Rose relaxed, slumping further into the pillow with an unintelligible murmur. That was for the best. They only had about two hours before the morning light, and then it was a long trek back to the TARDIS.

Shifting a little on the bedside, he propped his feet up on the nightstand. He didn't leave this position until the morning came, where they'd be knighted by Her Majesty, and then banished by Her Majesty.

And they laughed and joked all the way back to the TARDIS, onto the next adventure.


	7. School Reunion - Part 1

Chapter 7 - School Reunion Part 1

The Doctor still hadn't visited his ship's library.

He couldn't say for certain what was holding him back. It wasn't having to face the realization of his love for her. No, he accepted this fact, before he ever imprinted on her. And he was looking forward to learning more about the mechanics of a connection like this, but he couldn't bring himself to go near the library, and he had no idea why.

It didn't help that he had a TARDIS with a mutinous personality. The ship had placed the door of the library next to his bedroom. And if he entered his room, there was a door within _attached_ to the library. Childishly, he gave his ship the silent treatment and completely ignored the rearrangement. However, the TARDIS was persistent.

As the Doctor did some rewiring to the console monitors, and after hitting the soldering iron with a mallet, the main monitor gave a trill. He pulled it closer as Circular Gallifreyan swirled across its screen.

He grimaced. "_How To Maintain and Repair a Type 40 TARDIS_," it read. "_Step One: Ensure that your pilot has actually passed flight school. Step Two: Disregard Step One and call your pilot the Doctor_."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the Doctor scoffed, talking to her after almost three days of silence. "Would you rather somebody else fly you?"

The monitor beeped again. "_Step Three: Tell Rose Tyler it travels in time. After all, the Doctor needs a babysitter. He can't even find the library_."

"I can find the library just fine," he snapped, crossing his arms. "I just…don't feel like reading right now." He went back to the monitor wires, but the screen promptly shut off. He smacked the side of it, and no response. He growled and then started reconnecting and setting everything back up, unable to move forward with anymore tinkering as the TARDIS was clearly done for now.

They had been in the vortex during those three days. The Doctor told Rose it was to do some repairs, but he was actually giving them a break for her sake. After they'd dealt with the werewolf, Rose had nightmares on and off. Not terrible ones, but this still didn't go unnoticed, seeing the tiredness in her eyes. However, Rose shrugged him off when he asked about it. So, they rested for a bit. It took a while, but the bad dreams lessened and Rose started to appear more rested.

"So," the Doctor exclaimed, as he heard her walk into the console room. He started a sequence on the console. "Where're we off to next? We could go to a planet made almost entirely of diamonds, have Chinese takeaway with one of the Emperors, visit the original New York…"

At her silence he turned to face her.

Rose was leaning against a coral strut, eyes downcast, one arm crossed over her chest, the other hand holding her mobile thoughtfully to her lips. Noticing that he was staring at her, she shook her head. "You pick," she said, moving to put her phone back in her pocket.

As soon as she walked over to the Doctor, her phone began to vibrate. With a huff, she chucked it at a clear space on the console, and sank down onto the jump seat.

"You and your mum have a fight," he queried as he watched her rub her hands over her face.

"No," she sighed. "It's Mickey."

He raised an eyebrow, picking up the phone. "Ah," he said, too casually. "A lover's quarrel?"

She snorted lightly. "No chance of those anymore. We broke up a while ago."

The Doctor was very surprised at this. Oh, he couldn't deny he was delighted, but Rose's emotions stopped him from any outward expression. A mix of anger, sadness, confusion, and frustration rolled off her in waves. On the outside, she was struggling to maintain composure. On the inside, she was in turmoil. This didn't sit well with the Doctor, so he sat beside her.

"This may not be my level of expertise," he said, leaning and tilting his head to look in her eyes. "But you can tell me anything. You know that."

He genuinely wanted know what was happening. He'd become so domestic and doting since his regeneration, and it didn't surprise Rose any longer. What did surprise her was his interest in the topic of Mickey, as he was never really fond of him to begin with.

Rose pursed her lips, not looking away from him. "We had a row at Christmas," she explained quietly. "We both said some things, and it just sort of…spiraled."

"And…what?" He placed her phone between them on the jump seat. "He wants to argue more?"

"No. He keeps trying to get me to come and visit." She scowled at the phone. "Keeps saying something about a UFO. With how many times he's called me, I think he's using it as an excuse."

"And you're not ready to see him yet." He glanced at the console. "We can go someplace else, take your mind of things?"

Rose shook her head. "Well, that's just it." She reclined some more, gaze drifting to the ceiling. "I _want_ to see him. I want to see if we can still be friends." She chuckled humorlessly. "But I don't even know what I'd say."

The Doctor looked away to stare at the floor. "You don't want to get back together with him?"

She shook her head again. "I don't exactly live on Earth anymore. It wouldn't be fair to him."

"You could have a life with him."

"My life is here, in the TARDIS," Rose said firmly. "With you," she said more quietly. After a moment, she inhaled. "He's family. I love him, but not like that…not anymore."

The Doctor's mouth opened and closed, but Rose didn't notice his internal struggle. If Rose ever wanted to return to Earth, if it would make her happy, he would have no choice but to honor her decision. However, the Doctor didn't know what he would do. He was so attuned to her in every way. Their time together had formed a strong bond, and imprinting enhanced that bond to a point of permanence. They gravitated towards each other effortlessly and naturally. The Doctor knew without a doubt that Rose still deeply cared about him despite regenerating, and if he didn't know any better, he'd say Rose had imprinted on him as well. What a thought!

The phone broke the silence, vibrating against the plastic-y leather of the seat. Rose didn't even acknowledge it. He shifted to get up, but then stopped himself, and peered down at the phone.

"What," Rose asked.

"He said something about a UFO?"

"Well, yeah, but it may just be an excuse." She quirked an eyebrow as his leg bounced a little, eyes never leaving the device. Rose rolled her eyes. "Well, go on, then. I know you're dying to answer it. But I'm telling you, it's probably nothing."

* * *

Nothing turned out to be a whole lot of something. Mickey hadn't been lying about a UFO sighting and, upon landing the TARDIS in London, realized that a local school was making new records after rather abrupt curriculum changes. After a full day of doing undercover work – with Rose still whinging about her position as a dinner lady even after changing back into her normal clothes – they piled into the TARDIS to skip ahead several hours, until nightfall.

The Doctor landed the ship in a storeroom in the school and they exited into the hallway.

"You know," Mickey breathed, knees wobbling a little as he followed them. "I think I'm finally starting to get used to your ship." They turned a couple corners and arrived beside one of the main staircases. "Is it always that bumpy?"

"With new people on board, it is," the Doctor said.

Mickey scoffed. "Rose told me your ship feels things. Keeps calling it a 'she', too. You mean to tell me that it actually knows the difference between you and new people?"

"Yeah, she calls them 'strays'," the Doctor muttered, gazing around, looking for the next place they should investigate, and not really paying Mickey any mind.

"That's what she thinks of me?" Mickey scrunched his nose, and then looked at Rose. "Is that what she thinks of you?"

Rose chewed a nail thoughtfully. She was almost ready to respond when the Doctor started talking again. "Nah, she's always loved Rose," he said. "But come on, let's focus, team. Oh, I hate people who say team. Er, gang? Comrades?" He tugged an ear, then shook his head. "Anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen and get a sample of the oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers. Go and check out the Maths department. I'm going to have a look in Mr. Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes."

With one last glance at Rose, he walked away. Ugh, he hated splitting up. It didn't matter who he was travelling with, splitting up almost never ended well. However, they all needed to cover as much ground as possible. The Doctor wanted to investigate the office, but he heard the creak of a window opening from a nearby classroom, followed by hurried footsteps.

The Doctor grinned giddily and tried to follow the direction of the footsteps, which was hard to do through the echoing hallways of a school. He didn't think he'd get to see her until tomorrow, when the school day started. He should've known better.

He turned the corner and saw the storeroom door slowly click shut. He shoved his hands in his pockets and waited. A moment later, the door swung open as the woman backed out of the room, eyes wide with astonishment and with an undertone of something unreadable.

"Hello, Sarah Jane," he said evenly, with a fond smirk, as she turned to finally look at him with wide eyes.

* * *

Rose retrieved a sample of the oil, carefully wiping down any surfaces where she may have spilled any excess, and jogged away to their meeting spot. Upon finding no one else there, and not being one to stay still for very long, Rose made her way to the Maths department. She would've like to go find the Doctor instead, but she couldn't remember where Finch's office was. Plus, she still needed to have a talk with Mickey. With no current danger, this might be the only chance she got for a while.

Rose was several classrooms away when she heard a high-pitched scream. She couldn't help but roll her eyes a little. That was Mickey's scream of surprise, not fear. Still, she took off down the hall, almost colliding with the Doctor…and a middle-aged-looking woman following closely at his heels.

Rose looked her up and down in question. "Who's she?"

"Oh, Rose, meet Sarah Jane," he introduced brightly. "Sarah Jane, Rose."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Sarah Jane grinned as Rose reluctantly shook hands with her. She looked at the Doctor. "You can tell you're getting older. Your assistants are getting younger."

"I'm not his assistant," Rose glared at her.

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but Sarah Jane cut him off. "No?" Her lips quirked in amusement as the Doctor helplessly scratched the back of his neck. "Get you, tiger."

Rose shook her head quickly. It was just one of the Doctor's former travelling companions, that was all. So why did she feel so…tetchy? Insulted? "Come on," Rose grumbled, waving towards the Maths department. "It was just Mickey."

"I hope he's all right," Sarah Jane said. Even though Rose wasn't pleased with this turn of events, she appreciated the genuine concern in the woman's tone.

They sped to a halt by an Algebra classroom, where Mickey stood shaking next to an opened cupboard. "Sorry," he huffed as they inspected the items that had spilled into the hallway. "Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, s-so I started opening these cupboards, and all of these fell on me."

To Rose, the vacuum-packed rats were totally odd, and while Sarah Jane brought up a good point of them being used for Biology class, she couldn't help but start an argument with her. The Doctor saw how wrong this was going and tried to clear some air by saying they should all go to Finch's office, together as a team. He should've come up with something menial and suggested they split up again.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything," Rose said, her and Sarah Jane walking ahead together. "But who exactly are you?"

"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor."

Rose crossed her arms. Used to? Why ever would she give up travelling with the Doctor? Give up a life of seeing the universe? "Well…he's never mentioned you," she said, no longer meeting the woman's eyes.

"Oh, I must've. Sarah Jane, I mention her all the time," the Doctor said quickly from behind them. He was wracking his brain. He'd talked to Rose about a couple of his old companions. How could Sarah Jane have slipped his mind?

Rose couldn't stop the cattiness that bubbled over. "Hold on," she said, unsure why her own teeth were starting to grit. "…Sorry…Never."

She didn't hear Sarah Jane's next incredulous questioning, for it felt like her ears were ringing. Because Rose now understood why she was acting like this towards her. She almost stopped dead in her tracks from her own epiphany. Showing no emotion, she walked woodenly alongside Sarah Jane to the Headmaster's office.

The Doctor unlocked the door, torch in hand. He clicked it on, and the light fell upon a frightening sight. Multiple, enormous, bat-like creatures hung from the ceiling, bodies swinging slightly as they dozed.

"Maybe…" the Doctor whispered. "Those rats were food."

Unable to take any more, Mickey fled. The Doctor quickly secured the door, and they all went after him.

Mickey swung open the doors of the front entrance and ran outside, doubling over and taking in much needed fresh air. "I am not going back in there," he shouted at them. "No way!"

"Were those the teachers," Rose asked the Doctor.

He nodded, staring hard at the school. "When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies, and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on!" He started walking to the school again.

"You've got to be kidding," Mickey exclaimed.

"I need the TARDIS to analyze the oil from the kitchen."

"I might be able to help you there," Sarah Jane said. "I've got something to show you." She jogged to her car, and the Doctor and Rose followed. Mickey huffed stubbornly, but soon gave into curiosity.

* * *

Courtesy of Sarah Jane, alongside a broken K9, she drove all of them to a late-night coffee shop where the Doctor would have ample counter-space to repair the metal dog, and to get something to eat if anyone wanted.

Sarah Jane and the Doctor were sitting in the front seats of the car, talking up a storm, but Rose didn't feel the need to pay any attention. "Oh," she exclaimed suddenly at something the Doctor said, glancing back at Rose with a happy smile. "Then, you're going to love this place, Rose. They sell chips as a specialty."

"I know," Rose exhaled, lifeless words tumbling from her mouth. "I've been there before."

The past hour or so, Rose knew she wasn't being particularly welcoming. However, at that point, Rose didn't even acknowledge how rude her words sounded. She was too focused on that stark realization she'd had. When they filed into the coffee shop, while Rose ordered her chips, she tried her best to tune in to Mickey's arrogant ranting, to ignore the Doctor and Sarah Jane. She failed miserably, and turned to look at them.

Rose could see that time had aged Sarah Jane, as it did all humans. She could hear their nostalgic laughter as they reminisced. Yet, she could also see their awkward, broken smiles every time they made eye contact. And Rose then understood that she wasn't watching the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.

She was watching her future.

* * *

While Sarah Jane and the Doctor worked on K9, they exchanged stories of the past, and even talked about Gallifrey and the War. She also brought up her grievances of being left behind, and the Doctor did his best to respectfully answer every one of her questions and statements.

Sarah Jane exhaled a little, passing the Doctor a tool. "They way you ramble, the way you talk now," she said. "It's all very smooth. You haven't always done well with emotional confrontation." She looked over her shoulder to where Mickey and Rose were having a clipped conversation at one of the small tables. "Does Rose have anything to do with that?"

"Do with what," the Doctor asked distractedly as he adjusted the sonic.

"The way you were talking in the car," she said. "How you've said her name…She's really special to you, isn't she?" The Doctor slowly looked at her face, expecting to see some form of jealousy, but only saw a bit of sadness. She shrugged a little. "I understand if she's…upset about all this. I really do."

The Doctor understood what she meant by that, and he cringed. He didn't want to talk about that at all, so he switched to something else. "Sarah," he said, placing the exposed wires back into K9. "Do you remember that day when you stumbled upon the TARDIS library? Did you…happen to see any books…on…um, related to-" That's when K9's head stuttered and he whirred to life. "Oh, now we're in business!"

"Master," the dog piped up as everyone gathered around.

"He recognizes me," he cooed joyfully. "Rose, give us the oil."

According to K9, it was Krillitane Oil. Krillitanes were an amalgamation of different and combined races they'd conquered throughout their lives, turning the current situation into unpredictability. However, they still had no idea what these things wanted with the children at the school.

"Maybe we should go back to the TARDIS," Rose offered.

The Doctor hummed. "The TARDIS would be able to do a deeper scan, tell us exactly what kind of Krillitanes we're dealing with. But it may have to wait. Depending on what they're combined with these days, they might've sensed us mucking about. It'd be safer to wait 'till daylight."

"I can help with that, too," Sarah Jane offered, not noticing Rose's tired eye roll. "My home is nearby. I'd say we could all use some rest, and get a fresh start tomorrow." The Doctor bounced on the balls of his feet once, before nodding. Mickey helped Sarah Jane take K9 to the car.

The Doctor looked back at Rose with a smirk as he dug through a pocket. Rose raised an eyebrow. "What's that look for," she asked.

"How much were those chips," he asked, making a show of shaking out one of the pockets.

"A…couple quid, why?"

"Aha," he exclaimed, pulling out some coins and holding them out to her. "Finally found some of that money I was talking about. You did win our last bet, after all!" He paused. "And the one before that." She had not displayed one ounce of happiness or adventurous spirit in almost two hours. Due to his talk with Sarah Jane, he knew why. He knew that she'd want to talk to him eventually, but for now, he could at least try to cheer her up. His goofy grin slipped at her exasperated scowl. It wasn't working.

He stuffed the coins back into his pockets and turned out the door without another word. He did not expect Rose to want to talk that very instant.

"Exactly how many have travelled with you?"

It was the Doctor's turn to scowl. "Does it matter?"

"Yeah, it does, if I'm just the latest in a long line!"

He spun around, their faces now inches apart. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed. The manic, dashing Time Lord Rose had come to know was replaced with something far more serious. Though, not quite the Oncoming Storm. The Doctor's voice was so strained, so uncertain. "Rose-"

She tipped her chin slightly, hair falling to cover some of her face, but she didn't take her eyes off of his. Her voice was quiet. "I thought you and me were…Well, obviously I got it wrong."

The Doctor's eyes slammed shut and he just barely caught the pained groan that tried to escape him. The heartbreak, sadness, and hopelessness Rose was unknowingly projecting was unbearable. He could feel the agony of her emotions becoming his own, and tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. This was his fault somehow, that much he knew. The most important being in all his lives was feeling this way because of him. And he needed to fix it.

"I've been to the year five billion," Rose continued. "But this? This is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind." This time, her hair completely covered face, hiding the tears that threatened to spill over. "Is that what you're going to do to me?"

Of its own accord, the tips of his fingers went under her chin, gently making her look at him. "No," he said firmly. "Not. You."

"But Sarah Jane. You were that close to her once."

The Doctor wanted so badly to correct the details of that statement. He didn't want to tell her about everything yet, not like this, not out in the open, but he was terrified. In that moment, he felt like he was losing her. "Rose…it-it's not the same. Not with you-"

"How is it not the same," Rose demanded. "Doctor, you never even mentioned her. You hardly ever talk about your other companions. Why not?"

"I don't age," he tried to explain. "I regenerate. But humans decay. Humans wither and die. And almost all of my companions have been humans. Imagine watching that happen to someone you-"

Rose blinked. "What, Doctor," she asked as his fingers ghosted to her cheek briefly before he dropped his hand.

His teeth were still ground together. "Most of them wanted to spend the rest of their lives with me. Even if they had, I couldn't spend the rest of mine with them. I had to keep going. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords." He pursed his lips. "And then you…" He had to stop talking, and give himself a harsh reminder. Regardless of imprinting on her, Rose was human as well, he couldn't forget that. If he did, the universe would surely remind him sooner or later.

"What," she repeated, eyebrows knitting together. "What did I do?"

The Doctor closed his eyes, unsure of where to begin. When he opened them, he realized just how close they were, their foreheads almost touching. He leaned back the tiniest bit. "Nothing-I mean…Rose. Time Lords, we can…we're able to-"

"Time Lord," a cold voice rang out. On a high ledge on a building across the coffee shop stood Mr. Finch, and a Krillitane kneeled at his side.

The Doctor and his friends huddled together just as the Krillitane took flight and made a nosedive in their direction. The Doctor's reaction was immediate. As everyone ducked their heads against the side of the car, his arm came out, hooking around Rose's front to pull her behind him. Instead of the car shielding her like everyone else, Rose suddenly found her face being pressed between the Doctor's shoulder blades.

"Was that a Krillitane," Sarah Jane asked when they straightened up. They watched the creature fly against the light of the moon before disappearing into the night.

"It didn't even touch us," Mickey remarked.

The Doctor nodded. "Just flew off, wonder why. A warning?" The Doctor turned around and grasped Rose's shoulders. "You all right?" She nodded mutely, still breathless from the adrenaline rush. "Everyone all right?"

Mickey nodded stiffly, and Sarah Jane simply opened the driver's side. "I don't know about you lot," she said, getting in. "But I think it's about time to pack it in for the night."


	8. School Reunion - Part 2

Chapter 8 - School Reunion Part 2

When they entered Sarah Jane's home, Mickey took one look at the couch and fell face first onto it. Not a moment later, he was snoring against the cushions.

Sarah Jane smirked. "Did he just start travelling with you two," she asked.

"Well, not really." The Doctor tugged an ear, shrugging out of his jacket. "More of an acquaintance? A helper?" He looked to Rose, silently asking for her input, as he didn't want to make certain assumptions and upset her more than she already was. However, Rose only stared at a wall as she peeled off her jumper and put it over the couch armrest. "Anyway, thanks for having us!"

"Oh, it's no trouble. I have a small guest bedroom through that door, if you want it, Rose." Rose simply nodded, walked to the bedroom, and closed the door behind her. Sarah Jane's eyebrow rose a little before she turned back to the Doctor. "I take it you won't be needing such accommodations," she asked slyly.

"Nah." He gave a small smile. "But the invitation's nice, all the same."

Sarah Jane didn't miss the way his eyes kept flickering towards the guest bedroom. "Everything all right?" He shrugged. "Anything I can do?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Do you have anything to make tea?

* * *

The Doctor had been sitting in the backyard for a little under an hour, barely sipping his tea, not swinging his legs while on the porch swing, and staring up into the night sky. He didn't hear the backdoor open, he only noticed her when she took a seat beside him.

"I bet you can still name all the stars," Sarah Jane sighed, cradling her own mug. "Can't you?"

He nodded once. "And all the new ones."

Sarah Jane chuckled. "Do I even want to know how old you are now?"

He chuckled a little, too. "I thought you'd gone to bed. We have a long day tomorrow. Back to school, and all that."

"Couldn't sleep," she said, leaning all the way against the backrest. "Not with the Doctor right outside. Didn't want a miss a thing."

The Doctor's brow raised. "Nothing's happening, though."

"Not yet, anyway," she said with mirth. "You never know with you. Something's always bound to happen."

He blew out a puff of air. "Yeah…Always something."

Sarah Jane's finger skimmed the rim of her mug. "And I wanted to know what you were going to ask earlier. Something about the library?"

He rolled his eyes, but his words were light. "You know, you don't have to be an investigator all the time."

She scoffed. "Speak for yourself. You can't keep your nose out of the universe's business for more than a second."

"Oi! Not true! Just ask Rose, I've become rather domestic," he said, shoulders squaring, almost with an air of pride.

She looked away, back towards the sky. "She's had quite the influence on you, hasn't she?"

The Doctor once again studied her face while on this topic, waiting for any signs of negativity, but she remained unreadable. Despite Sarah Jane's mild discomfort, which was definitely warranted, she seemed very neutral at the same time.

It appeared that Sarah Jane had moved on from him.

She whipped her gaze to him when he whispered in response to her question, "You have no idea." It wasn't his words, it was the way they were said. A gentle inflection mixed with a heavy somber.

"Doctor," she said carefully. "What is it? Is something the matter with Rose?"

"It's not her, it's me."

"How do you mean?"

His whole body went rigid. He had yet to talk about any of this out loud, and he was already on edge. But this was Sarah Jane. He could trust her, confide in her.

"I was wondering," he spoke carefully. "Whenever you travelled with me, you took such a shine to the library. Did you ever read any of the books on Gallifrey?"

She hummed thoughtfully. "A few, but not all of them. Most of them were written in Circular Gallifreyan." Her eyes widened. "Oh, Doctor, if this is about the War-"

"It's not about that."

"Please, Doctor. It sounded like there was nothing you could've done."

He scoffed darkly. "I only dream of the things I could've done to make that nightmare better. But I can't act on anything, not without ripping apart timelines, and doing other sorts of damage." He took a sip of his now-cold tea, as if it would wash away the bloody memories. "No," he shook his head. "I wanted to know if you found anything about the telepathic aspects of Time Lords. Specifically, telepathic bonds. Things like that." He tried to keep his words casual, but at times they came out in a rush.

"Yes. A few things." She set her mug down when the Doctor looked sharply at her, expectantly. "Doctor, what is this about?"

"Did you find anything about 'Imprinting'?"

Her eyebrows drew close together. "Uh…One passage on it, if I remember. There may have been other books, but those were all in your language." She glanced in the direction of the guest bedroom window the same time the Doctor did, except the Doctor's glance lingered longer than her's. "Doctor," she whispered slowly. "Did you imprint on Rose?" All he had to do was look in her eyes. Sarah Jane covered her mouth. "Oh my god," she muttered. "So-"

"What did the article say? Do you remember any of it?"

Sarah Jane blinked. "Why are you asking me? Why not look in the library yourself?" His mouth opened and closed, before his teeth settled to grind together. "What are you afraid of," she asked, struggling to meet his gaze.

"I don't know," he said flatly. "Nothing. Everything."

"Well," she said. "I've seen the way you two interact with each other. It seems that everything is…mutual. Are you afraid of telling her?"

He groaned. "Yes and no. I don't think I'm afraid to tell her. I think…it's not knowing what to say. I haven't gone to the library yet, and I've never imprinted on anyone before. I know nothing about this."

"You have such a thirst for knowledge. What's stopping you?" Sarah Jane suddenly leaned forward. "Are you afraid of what you'll find, is that it?"

The Doctor flexed his jaw. "I think that's part of it, if not most of it," he murmured. "When I do talk to Rose, it'll be after I've gone to the library. Whatever I learn I'll have to tell her, it's only fair to her." Sarah Jane rubbed his arm sympathetically at his shuddering breath. "But if I tell her something that she doesn't like, something that overwhelms her…scares her…" He looked at his former travelling companion. She gave him a small smile and nodded. "Oh, Sarah Jane," he moaned, burying his face in his hands. "You have no idea how strong my connection to her is. If she wanted to leave, if she decided she wanted nothing to do with me…"

"I take it you're not going to move forward until you've gone to the library," Sarah Jane said after he stopped talking. "Seems to me like you've got homework to do. Otherwise, you'll never know Rose's say in all this."

She didn't say anything for a while, just watched as the Doctor ran his fingers through his hair. "The article I read was very old and not very detailed," she sighed. She then had the Doctor's full attention. "I don't think it was decided whether it was a telepathic connection, or something to do with one's soul. Or both. And I believe it also said something about how a connection like that can be a blessing or a curse, depending on the individuals involved. Although, it didn't elaborate much on that at all." She looked towards the guest bedroom window again. "I take it for you, it's not the latter."

The Doctor closed his eyes and inhaled, focusing on the connection. It thrummed like a single harp string, a peaceful note that always seemed to signal to him when she was in REM sleep. In turn, this made him relax against the backrest, the bench swinging slightly as he did so. He nodded firmly. "Oh, yes. Definitely not a curse."

* * *

Once it was daylight, they headed straight for the school. While his companions did their part, he went to find the headmaster. It was time he had a word with Mr. Finch. They found each other at the school's swimming pool, both on either side, sizing each other up.

"Since when did Krillitanes have wings," the Doctor asked, both slowly walking in time with each other, until they came face to face at the other end of the pool.

"It's been our form for nearly ten generations now," Finch explained coolly. "Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had such lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day." He smirked. "Just imagine."

"And now you're shaped human," the Doctor quirked an eyebrow. "But what about the others?"

"My brothers remain bat form," he explained. "What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath. And what of the Time Lords? So pompous, so ancient, so afraid of change and chaos. And of course, they're all but extinct now. Only you, the last." He tented his fingers. "And of course that little blonde human you seem so attached to."

The Doctor willed his jaw not to clench. He needed to appear calm, even a little disinterested. The last thing he wanted to do was falter in front of a Krillitane leader. "This plan of yours, what is it?"

Finch tilted his head, another smirk playing on his lips. "You don't know?"

"That's why I'm asking."

His grin widened. "Then show me how clever you are. Work it out."

"If I don't like it," the Doctor replied slowly. "It will stop."

"Fascinating," Finch chuckled. "Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new, something out of character from your race. And you can 'imprint'? What is that exactly? A sort of mind control? A hive mind?"

The Doctor had stopped breathing. How could he have been so stupid, talking about it out in the open last night? How could he have been so negligent?

At the Doctor's silence, Finch continued. "Would you declare war on us, Doctor?"

The Doctor took a breath. "I'm so old now. I used to have so much mercy." He frowned at him. "You get one warning. That was it."

"But we're not even enemies. Soon, you will embrace us. The next time we meet, you will join us, I promise you." The Doctor turned around and began walking out. "And your little human can join as well. There's something interesting about her, I can sense it. I think she would fit in quite nicely."

The Doctor spun to face him, anger in his eyes and more than ready to be The Oncoming Storm, but Finch had disappeared.

* * *

Sarah Jane didn't quite know how to feel. On the one hand, she knew from what she read that imprinting on someone couldn't be helped, and the Doctor definitely seemed to love Rose. On the other, she couldn't help but copy some of Rose's resentment towards recent events. Sarah Jane tried to remain unbiased about everything, especially after what the Doctor shared with her last night, but the tension between the two women was beginning to bubble over.

Sarah Jane got out from under the desk while flicking the sonic screwdriver. "It's not working."

"Give it to me," Rose said from her chair, sounding bored.

"Used to work first time in my day."

"Well." Rose aimed the sonic beneath the computer. "Things were a lot simpler back then."

"Rose," she said, although she wasn't quite sure where to begin. "Can I give you a bit of advice?" After an offhanded acknowledgement from Rose, Sarah Jane tried to form words, but found it difficult. She didn't want to accidentally say something to tip Rose off, hoping that the Doctor would stay true to his promise and talk to Rose eventually. "I know how…intense a relationship with the Doctor can be, and I'm definitely not intruding-"

"I don't feel threatened by you," Rose said. "If that's what you mean."

"Right. Good! Because I'm not interested in picking up where we left off."

"No," Rose asked, standing back up. "With the big sad eyes and the robot dog, what else were you doing last night?"

"No, you don't understand," she tried. "The Doctor and I were talking last night and-" She stopped, not exactly sure where she was going to go with that, and at the same time not wanting to go any further. "I was just saying how hard it was, adjusting to life back on Earth."

"The thing is, when you two met, they'd only just gotten rid of rationing. No wonder all that space stuff was a bit too much for you."

Sarah Jane's mouth dropped open. "I had no problem with 'space stuff'. I saw things you wouldn't believe."

Rose glared at her. "Try me."

Sarah Jane crossed her arms. "Mummies."

"Ghosts."

"Robots. Lots of robots."

"Slitheen, in Downing Street."

"Daleks!"

Rose scoffed. "Met the Emperor."

Sarah Jane's words were coming in a harsh rush. "Anti-matter monsters."

"Gas-masked zombies."

"Real living dinosaurs!"

"Real living werewolf!"

"The Loch Ness Monster," Sarah Jane shouted.

Rose's eyes widened. "Seriously?" Sarah Jane slapped her hands over her own mouth and exhaled sharply. "Listen to us," Rose muttered, shaking her head. "Me and my mate Shireen, the only time we fell out was over a man. And we're arguing over the Doctor." At her tone, Sarah Jane tipped her head a little, both women apologetic now. "With you," Rose asked. "Did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety miles per hour? And you'd go 'What', and he'd look at you like just dribbled on your shirt?"

Sarah Jane laughed. "All the time! Uh, does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"

"Yeah, he does! I'm like, 'Do you two want to be alone?'"

It got to a point where neither of them could stop giggling. From outside the computer room, the Doctor leaned against the doorframe, listening to their laughter. He was just happy and relieved that they were getting along, and that the strain he felt through the link was starting to fade.

"How's it going," the Doctor asked with a grin, walking into the classroom. Realizing they couldn't stop laughing, he shook his head and continued. "Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these. Have you two had any luck?" Suddenly, their laughter rose into hysterics as they pointed at each other. Then, they started pointing at him. "What," he asked, now confused and just slightly offended. "Stop it."

Sarah Jane patted Rose's arm, trying to calm her down while trying to do the same for herself. "All right, all right," she breathed.

"Okay?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask about it further. "So, any progress?"

Rose shook her head. "Couldn't exactly find the right settings," she said, passing the sonic back to him.

The intercom interrupted them, telling the students their break was over, and for all of the staff to gather.

The Doctor started working on the computers and wires, frustratingly trying to maneuver a deadlock seal. Doing anything to get inside the computers and figure out what's giving the children such high IQ's. All of a sudden, one by one, green and black symbols appeared on all of the computer screens and the projector at the far end of the room.

"Some sort of code," the Doctor mused. "It can't be. The Skasis Paradigm?"

"The what," Sarah Jane asked.

"They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm. The God Maker. The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got the building blocks of the universe. Time, space, matter. Yours to control."

"And what," Rose asked. "The kids are like a giant computer?"

"Yes," he nodded, still not looking away from the monitors. "Their learning power is being accelerated by the oil, like a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

"But that oils on the chips." Rose's eyes widened. "And I've been eating them."

"What's fifty-nine times thirty-five," the Doctor asked without pause.

"Two thousand and sixty-five," she said, not even thinking about it. "Oh my god!"

"But why use the children," Sarah Jane asked. "Can't they use adults?"

The Doctor looked away from them, back to the codes flitting across the screens. "No, it's got to be children. The God Maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code, they're using their souls."

"Think of it, Doctor," Mr. Finch said as he drifted into the room. "With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can reshape the universe."

"Oh yeah," the Doctor raised his eyebrows. "The whole of creation the face of Mr. Finch? Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

"Just think of the changes that could be made."

"By someone like you," the Doctor scoffed, leaning against a desk.

"No," Mr. Finch smiled. "Someone like you. The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Imagine what you could do. You could become a God. At my side. Think of the civilizations you could save." He listed a couple planets, cities, and regions, adding to the appeal. "Your own people, Doctor standing tall." Mr. Finch's gaze flickered to Rose, and the Doctor straightened slightly. "Including anyone else you wish to have beside you."

"Doctor," Sarah Jane said hurriedly, putting a hand on his upper arm. The Doctor pulled away from all of them, facing the monitors once more. "Don't listen to him."

Mr. Finch faced Rose, making her step back a little. "And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young, fresh, never wither, never aging, never dying. I'm certain that-"

"I could save everyone," the Doctor whispered.

Mr. Finch's eyes narrowed slightly, not fooled by his timely interruption. "Yes."

"I could stop the war."

"No," Sarah Jane exclaimed desperately. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world or a relationship, everything has its time. Everything ends."

The Doctor ignored everyone in the room. He was staring down at one of the chairs. Without warning, he picked it up and chucked it across the room. It collided against the larger monitor and projector with a satisfying crash. While Mr. Finch shielded his face, the Doctor grabbed Sarah Jane and Rose's hands to pull them out of the room with him.

* * *

With the combined help of K9, Mickey, and a determined school student, they managed to make it out of the school just as the rest of the students were running out. The Krillitanes were trapped inside the kitchen, K9 holding them off. Before Sarah Jane could find a kitchen window to look through, fire engulfed the school, inside and out, causing an explosion of glass and debris.

Sarah Jane sniffled as the Doctor walked up beside her. "I'm so sorry," he said.

She shook her head. "He was only a metal dog," she murmured. "A daft tin dog."

The Doctor put his arms around her as her tears began to fall. "I'll miss him, too."

Cars, ambulances, fire engines, and parents showed up almost immediately. A couple police officers approached the Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Mickey.

"What on Earth's going on here," one of the officers asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "Ask the children," he said. Then, he gestured to his friends. "We just got here. Heard all the noise, and thought everyone needed help." He pointed to the car that'd crashed through the front doors of the school. "My mate Mickey over here did that." He ignored Mickey's defensive 'hey'. "He saw the children couldn't escape, so he created an escape route for them. Saved them all, he did." He glanced back at Mickey long enough to see the smile that spread across his face.

The other officer nodded. "We'll be sure to make a note of that. Is everyone accounted for?"

The Doctor was about to confirm when a firefighter approached them. "We think so," she said. "We're going to do another sweep, though. We thought we saw movement from the kitchen, but that could've just been a trick of the smoke…"

The Doctor stopped listening and took a look around. The Krillitanes couldn't have survived that, so was it possible that a student was still stuck inside? He looked out over the growing crowd of people, trying to figure out if there were any faces missing. He realized almost instantly.

Rose wasn't in the crowd.

* * *

"How'd you manage to get back inside," he asked her, closing the door behind him. "I soniced the door shut."

Rose stood up from where she was kneeling on the kitchen floor, the spot where K9 once stood. "The fire broke all the windows," she said, placing scraps of metal rubbish into the bin bag she held. "I got in through one of those."

He cocked his head while looking at the bag. "What could be so important that you felt the need to come back here?" He glanced around the charred remains of the kitchen, glass everywhere and some of the fire still burning. "We should all leave. We'll let everyone else sort this out."

"Not until-!" Rose started before the Doctor could turn away. He looked at her questioningly. Rose exhaled lightly. "I was hoping there'd be something left of K9. I don't know, something salvageable."

"Why?" He walked over to her. "You didn't seem all that interested in him to begin with."

"I know," she nodded. "But you were his owner once. And Sarah Jane's devastated." She looked away from him. "I know I've been a tosser the last two days."

The Doctor shook his head. "You had your reasons. And I thought you and Sarah Jane were friends now."

"We are, I think," she said with a little smile. "And this is what friends do." She gave the bag a little shake.

"Go back into a burning school and find the remains of a sentient robot dog?" He gave a small, happy grin. "Yeah, I suppose they do."

Rose handed him the bag to look through. "I knew he was going to be mostly destroyed when I got back here." She frowned. "I was just hoping to find bigger parts that were still intact." The Doctor sifted through the contents of the bag. She chewed one of her nails. "Do you think there's anything you can do?"

When he finally spoke, he did so with a wide grin that split his whole face. "You're brilliant, you are!"

* * *

The TARDIS landed in a park near Sarah Jane's home. They set the newly refurbished K9 onto the grating of the console room.

"Why isn't he waking up," Mickey asked. "Did we not do something right?"

"Nah, he's all ready to go," the Doctor said, adjusting one of K9's rivets. "I have him set to wake up in about fifteen minutes. This gives him enough time to get used to his new improvements, and the first person he'll see is Sarah Jane."

Rose tossed away a grease-covered rag. "That's just for Sarah Jane's sake, isn't it?"

The Doctor's response to that was cheeky wink. "There now," he exclaimed, putting the tools back in his pockets. "Should be all better. Mickey, do you think you could carry him? Put him behind the TARDIS?"

Mickey's rolled his eyes, but smiled. "You like to go all out. No wonder Rose fancies you."

"Mickey," Rose hissed, blushing madly. He only laughed as he carried the metal dog out the door. She looked at the Doctor, but he didn't seem to have reacted to Mickey's comment. Instead, he was at the console, adjusting some wires until one of the monitor screens showed an image of the park they were in.

"Ah, that's better," he said. "Been trying to fix this screen for days." He glanced at Rose. "Sarah Jane should be here any minute."

Rose regarded him carefully. She and the Doctor had become more and more closer since he regenerated. However, he was still a master at evasion when it came to certain conversations. He didn't appear to have heard what Mickey said, but Rose knew better. However, he didn't seem uncomfortable or tense. Perhaps he truly hadn't heard Mickey, too focused on the TARDIS's monitors. It wouldn't be the first time the Doctor ignored him. It certainly wouldn't be the last, but after the adventure they'd just had, he definitely seemed more willing to be around Mickey. And Mickey was now more accepting of the lifestyle she and the Doctor lived.

Mickey closed the door behind him. "I think I saw Sarah Jane coming up the path," he said.

The Doctor nodded and stepped around him to go outside. Mickey walked up the ramp to stand beside Rose.

"Hell of a day, huh," he said conversationally, though not quite looking her in the eyes.

"Just another day for us," Rose chuckled.

"So, it's always like this, then?"

She nodded. "More than you know." When she looked at him, she saw that he was gazing at the console and the time rotor, seemingly unable to take his eyes off it all.

Sarah Jane stepped through the TARDIS doors. "You've redecorated," she said as she slowly made her way up the ramp. "I preferred it as it was, but it'll do."

"I love it," Rose shrugged, welcoming her with a wide grin.

"Hey," she greeted. "What's forty-seven times three hundred and sixty-nine?"

Rose shook her head. "No idea. It's gone now, the oil's faded."

"Yeah," the Doctor drawled as he stepped around the console. "You metabolized it quicker than I thought, but the oil wasn't meant to exist on Earth anyway. So…"

Sarah Jane grinned. "She's still more than a match for you, though. Don't you think," she asked him with a wink, which he chose not to acknowledge.

Instead he said, "We're about to head off." He gave a quick look to Rose who was still smiling. "But you could come with us. If you like."

Sarah Jane looked at her friends, her smile turning sad. "I can't do this anymore." She tried to ignore the disappointment in the Doctor's eyes. "Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."

"Can I come," Mickey asked the Doctor, who stared at him blankly. "I'm not the tin dog, and I want to see what's out there."

"Oh, go on, Doctor," Sarah Jane encouraged. "Sarah Jane Smith. Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board.

The Doctor flexed his jaw, then looked down at the console. "I'll have to see if the TARDIS has accommodations for you first," was all he said. He glanced up very briefly, seeing Sarah Jane and Rose raise their eyebrows.

Mickey cleared his throat. "Right, I get it," he said knowingly, disappointedly.

Sarah Jane looked at Rose, but she only shrugged and shook her head. "Well," Sarah Jane said after a moment. "I'd better go." She pulled Rose in for a hug.

"What do I do," Rose murmured so that only she could hear her. "Do I stay with him?"

"Yes," she nodded firmly. "You have no idea how much that daft alien needs you."

Rose looked down at the grating. "He was perfectly fine without me all those years."

"Oh, Rose." Sarah Jane gave her an odd smirk. "Trust me on this." Rose didn't say anything. "Well, you know where to find me. If you ever need to, find me."

When they were finished talking, the Doctor smiled at them. "I'll walk you out?"

* * *

When the Doctor arrived through the doors he took his time walking to the console and started the sequence that would take Mickey Smith back home. He could feel Rose's eyes on him from the jump seat.

"Will we ever see her again," she asked.

"'Course we will," he nodded. "If we ever have a mystery that needs solving we may have to pop in for a visit."

Rose brought a knee up to her chin. "Why did you invite Sarah Jane, but not Mickey?"

The Doctor's face scrunched. In truth, he didn't have a reason to bring Mickey with them. Sure, he'd helped save the day, and maybe one of these days they could give him a 'thank you' trip, but Mickey had proven to not react well in chaotic situations. On top of it all, he didn't have space-time-travel experience, and he and the Doctor were still not fond of each other. Yes, that was it…

…And also because the Doctor enjoyed it when it was just him and Rose.

Instead of putting all of that to words, he said, "Why do you ask?"

"Well," Rose shrugged. "He has as much of a right to see the universe as anyone."

He didn't look away from the console. "I thought you and him were on bad terms."

"Exactly," she said, moving to lean on the console, next to him. "With him travelling with us, I could finally have the opportunity to see if we can still be friends."

The Doctor's shoulders relaxed a little. Just friends, then. That was all she wanted from Mickey. Still, the Doctor was being stubborn about this. "We can always visit him another time, and see your mother while we're at it."

"Don't you think he deserves at least one trip, after what happened today?"

The Doctor eventually looked into her pleading hazel eyes. He didn't have to read the link to understand how important this was for her. Mickey was family.

Instead of hitting the buttons that would finish the sequence and take them to Mickey's flat, he hit a combination of levers that immediately took them into the time vortex. When Rose felt the way the ship stuttered, her face widened with a smile that the Doctor would do anything to see all the time.

"Okay, then. I could do for a laugh. We'll see what happens after one trip," he said in a serious tone. "And if he can't handle it, we're taking him straight home."

"You're the best," Rose exclaimed, jumping up to peck him on the cheek before she turned away. "I'm gonna go tell him."

"Promise to feed and walk him every day?"

Rose rolled her eyes, not bothering to stop and turn around. "He's not the tin dog," she shouted back, a chuckle in her voice.

The Doctor was grinning, too. "I'll believe it when I see it," he muttered to himself. He let his fingers glide over the spot that was still warm from Rose's kiss.

The domestics, enduring visits with her mother, they way he saved her from the swooping Krillitane, and now inviting Mickey aboard. All of these things and more, he would gladly and even effortlessly do for Rose.

The Doctor knew, after she'd taken in the heart of the TARDIS, that Rose was willing to go to great lengths for him as well. However, nothing in the universe could prepare him for what was to lie ahead. Neither him nor Rose would ever be prepared for it.


	9. The Girl in the Fireplace

Chapter 9 - The Girl in the Fireplace

The Doctor soniced wires, panels, circuit boards, anything he could get his hands on. The droids had teleported and he was now trying to find a way to do the same. He kept looking at the mirror, and minute by minute, Madame de Pompadour's history was unfolding into chaos. The droids were invading the ballroom, but no sign of Reinette yet. The Doctor still had time to think of something clever.

Oh, but he already had. As he worked, he couldn't take his eyes off the mirror.

"I don't get it," Rose said, pointing to the ballroom. "How come they got in there?"

"They teleported, you saw them," the Doctor said through gritted teeth. "As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short-range teleports will do the trick. We've been using a fireplace and windows to get through. The droids were taking the shorter route."

"So, what's wrong with this mirror, then," Mickey asked.

"They knew I was coming." With a huff, the Doctor threw down the wires he was holding. "They sealed it, blocked us off from her."

"What about the TARDIS," Rose asked.

The Doctor crossed his arms and moved to stand in front of the mirror, Rose and Mickey joining him. "We can't use the TARDIS," he explained, looking the mirror up and down. "We're part of events now." Reinette had entered the ballroom. She addressed the droids, talking to them, stalling them.

Mickey tilted his head. "But you two get involved in all sorts of events. Rose said that time kind of has a way of…reshaping itself? Healing? Isn't that what you said?"

"Not all the time," Rose and the Doctor said in unison.

The Doctor continued. "It's a bit more complicated than that." He sniffed. "And anyway, if we use the TARDIS, what's stopping the droids from just grabbing Reinette and bringing her back here? No. We need to find a way to seal them off from the ship, as well."

The Doctor continued staring at the window. Before the words left his mouth, he felt his muscles and joints beginning to tense up. "If we smash the window," he said, and swallowed a lump that formed in his throat. "The intensity of the crash may glitch their teleportation devices, may even sever their connection with the ship. They wouldn't be able to come back."

"What," Mickey scoffed. "And keep 'em in France to slice and dice everyone?"

"All they want is Reinette. They want her for their ship. They can't get to the ship, then they have no use for Reinette. Eventually, they'll run out of power and die, which has been happening long before Reinette. It wouldn't take them long." The Doctor growled in frustration. "Smash the glass, smash the time window," he grumbled. "There'd be no way back."

Rose looked between the mirror and the Doctor. "Well, we've got to think of something!"

"Of course there's a way back," he said aloud, but it was mostly to himself. "If I could find enough force to smash through…" Then, what? He didn't have a plan. He shook his head rapidly. "There's always a way back." Two of the droids stepped forward, and forced Reinette to her knees.

The Doctor clawed his fingers through his hair, currently the only things he were able to move. He found that his feet were frozen in place. He was getting more agitated, he literally couldn't move them. He knew what needed to be done. He knew he needed to go through the window himself. What was happening to him?

Rose looked sharply at the Doctor. "If you think there's a way, then do it!"

_There isn't a way._ When the Doctor buried his face in his hands and closed his eyes, he felt his link to her. He wasn't purposefully reaching out for it, it just sort of made itself more prominent in that moment. The Doctor was more perplexed than he had been all day. The connection was normally so lively no matter what Rose was feeling. However, all the Doctor felt was stillness, the link unmoving and as frozen as he was.

"I can't," he whispered, though he still didn't know why. He looked up at Rose and Mickey's astonished faces. "I can't!"

Rose stood directly in front of him. "I don't fancy seeing Reapers anytime soon! Talk to me, Doctor! What are you thinking?"

He looked away from her. "I can't," he repeated, as if pained.

As Rose walked away to stand in front of the mirror, Mickey took to arguing further with the Doctor, but she wasn't paying attention. Rose could normally keep up with the Doctor's thought processes even though she didn't always understand everything. However, this time, he wasn't making any sense to her. He wasn't communicating at all. If there was a specific reason, wouldn't he tell her? Was there something going on in France that truly prevented him from going?

Rose tried to pace a little, but nearly ran into the horse that had taken to following them around. Distractedly, she gave his neck a pat. Then, she looked from the horse to the mirror once, twice, and a third time.

Her fingers fidgeted with his reins as she watched the droids point their weapons at Reinette. No one was doing anything and a nightmare was coming ever closer. Rose shivered, thinking back to a paradox that almost split apart time, a paradox that she had been responsible for. She would never relive something like that ever again, nor let anyone else have that kind of experience.

Rose reached up, grabbed hold of the saddle horn, and hauled herself onto Arthur's back.

The Doctor had said 'I can't'. He didn't say anything about anyone else.

"Rose, what are you doing," Mickey asked with wide eyes.

If she were being honest, she was playing it by ear. Having never ridden a horse before, the only thing she had to go off of was what she had seen on the telly. She gave the reins a flick and made an awkward kicking motion with her feet. A startled cry escaped her when Arthur ran forward, full speed, directly towards the mirror. Rose gripped the saddle and reins with white knuckles, and her eyes slammed shut right before her and Arthur went through the glass.

Though the shattering around her was deafening, Rose could clearly hear the Doctor yelling her name at the top of his lungs.

* * *

Rose only opened her eyes when the horse trotted to a stop. When she did so, she was met with the terrified stares of dozens of French aristocrats. Panting heavily to catch her breath, she looked around, hoping she wasn't too late. Rose exhaled in relief. Reinette was still at knifepoint kneeling on the ballroom floor, but the droids hadn't touched her yet.

"You all right," Rose asked, dismounting Arthur.

"Yes," Reinette nodded. She looked at the remains of the mirror, now just a brick wall. She stared back at Rose, eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "Where is the Doctor?"

"He, uh," Rose stuttered, carefully walking towards her and the droids. "He couldn't make it."

"Why ever not," Reinette exclaimed.

"It's really hard to explain."

A man went right up to Rose. "What the hell is going on," he shouted.

Rose huffed. "That's also hard to explain."

"Pardon him, Rose," Reinette said. "This is my lover, the King of France."

Rose admittedly ignored everyone as she approached one of the droids beside Reinette. Her head was swimming. She felt like she was on the Sycorax ship again, unsure what to do while all eyes were on her.

The King went towards Rose purposefully. "No, don't," Reinette said to him, making him stop. "She knows the Doctor. She knows what she's doing." She looked up at Rose. "Don't you?"

Rose swallowed, but didn't say anything to her as she returned her attention to the droids. "Okay," she began slowly, trying to ignore the ballroom's heavy silence. "You see that, there?" Rose pointed to where the mirror once hung. "You can't get back there. And the Doctor said your teleports should stop working."

Hearing her words, all of the droids pressed against their wrists, but this time they did not teleport.

"You see," Rose said. "There's nothing tying you to the ship. You don't need her anymore, and there's nothing left for you to do."

The droids sheathed their blades.

"The Doctor said you're going to run out of power," Rose continued. "How much time have you got left?" Her answer was silence. She looked down at Reinette. "Make them answer me. We need to know. They may not need you anymore, but they're still dangerous."

"I've told you once before," Reinette spoke to the droids. "Answer any and all questions." Rose shifted on her feet, waiting for the droids to obey.

Very slowly, one by one, the droids' heads began to sag, their upper bodies drooping as this happened. No longer holding themselves upright, the droids fell to the floor, glass and gears crunching against the ballroom tile.

Sighs made their way around the room as the people began to straighten themselves. Rose held out a hand for Reinette. She was smiling in gratitude. "You've saved us all."

Rose shook her head, but finally let herself relax. "The Doctor explained everything before I got here. 'Sides, I didn't do much."

"But you are the one who stopped them," Reinette said. "You will forever have my thanks." She smoothed out her dress, but stalled when she looked down. "You're bleeding."

Rose's eyes shot to her own ankle, and saw the blood stain on her jeans. Must've been from the window. She bent to roll up the denim to have a closer look, but Reinette put a hand on her shoulder. "Not just yet," she said while looking around the ballroom. "Everyone is still frightened. Seeing blood will not help. Also, I know many will want to ask you questions, and you have answers they may not be able to comprehend. Let us try and sneak away."

Reinette led her to a cabinet in her bedchamber, and began searching for something to bind the wound. Rose hissed as she crouched to inspect her ankle, the denim rasping against the scratch. Thankfully, that's all it was and it didn't appear too deep, nor was it bleeding much at all anymore.

"I don't think I'll need anything for it," Rose told her. "Looks fine to me. Plus, the Doctor can always…" She trailed off. From her crouched position, Rose moved to plop down on the floor. 'I can't', the Doctor had said. And now, she thought she knew why.

They couldn't use the TARDIS. The droids' teleports no longer worked. The mirror had been destroyed, and if the Doctor's logic held true, then all of the other time windows had been sealed.

The Doctor had lied. There was no way back.

Rose ducked her head between her knees, trying to breathe. Reinette saw her distress and went to her side. "Is it your ankle," she asked.

"No," Rose gulped, not wanting someone like Madame de Pompadour to see her cry. "It's the Doctor. I may never-" She stopped herself, her jaw setting. She couldn't think like that. The Doctor was brilliant, and knowing him he probably already had a plan. However, Rose couldn't stop thinking about his strange behavior from before she had crashed through the mirror. She had to put all her effort into thinking positively.

Reinette knelt beside her and said, "I think I have something of interest to you." Rose raised an eyebrow as she was helped to her feet. Reinette led her to the fireplace. Rose opened her mouth, ready to explain to her that the time windows were sealed, but her words were drowned out by a groaning noise.

The most beautiful noise that Rose thought she'd never hear again.

Reinette stopped dead in her tracks as a blue box began to appear between her and the fireplace. "Oh, my heavens," she whispered in wonder. Rose's only response was a giddy laugh.

When the TARDIS was fully materialized, the door swung open with a bang. Rose had no time to react as she was lifted off her feet by a pair of sturdy pinstriped arms around her torso. She gave another laugh as the Doctor spun them around once, before setting her back down.

"Are you okay," he asked frantically, eyes scanning all over. "Where are you injured?"

"I'm fine," she exhaled, her smile not leaving her face. "It's okay. No more droids." Rose's eyes drifted shut when the Doctor placed a lingering kiss to her forehead. When he pulled back, she shook her head a little to clear some of the daze. "I thought you said you couldn't use the TARDIS."

"Not while the droids still existed in Reinette's timeline," he explained. "Because they shouldn't have even been there to begin with. No more droids, no more paradox risk." His eyes caught sight of the blood on her jeans, but she was still putting weight on it, and she didn't seem to be leaving a blood trail. Her ankle could wait as he had to tie up some loose ends.

As the Doctor turned to Reinette, Mickey exited the TARDIS. "You're alive," he exclaimed, pulling her in for a bone-crushing again.

"Gee," Rose rolled her eyes playfully. "Thanks for having so much faith in me, guys."

"No, but really," Mickey laughed. "That was the most amazing thing ever, wasn't it Doctor?"

"Are you all right," the Doctor asked Reinette, ignoring Mickey as always.

"I am," she nodded. "Thanks to Rose. But where were you? I have come to think that nothing stops a man like you."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Yes, well, hit a bit of snag," he said. He glanced back at the TARDIS. "And we still have a snag now. All of the time windows should be sealed, but my ship is telling me there's still one left. Can you think of anything, Reinette? Odd-looking windows, recent doorway renovations-" Reinette placed a finger on his lips, took his hand, and led them around behind the TARDIS. "The fireplace," he murmured as Mickey and Rose joined them.

"It's not a copy," Reinette explained while the Doctor ran his fingers over the wooden curves and edges. "It's the original. I had it moved here. It is exact in every detail. It was moved many years ago," she continued as the Doctor's fingers began to move with a little more precision. "My hope was that a door that once opened may someday open again." She silently got Rose's attention and gave her a knowing nod. "One never quite knows when one needs one's Doctor." The Doctor started tapping along the edges of the fireplace. "Do you think it would still be working?"

The Doctor brought his ear to the fireplace as he tapped. "You broke the bond with the ship when you moved it, which means it was offline when the mirror broke. That's what saved it, but the link is basically physical, and it's still physically here. Which might just mean…" Another well-placed knock and it sounded different from the other places he'd tapped. "Aha!"

"What," Reinette asked.

"Loose connection," he said with a grin. "Need to get a man in. And by 'man', I mean TARDIS." He pointed to his ship. "I can use her to close down this last time window, now that we know where it is." He turned to face Reinette. "No more droids, no more connection to the ship. Nothing to bother you anymore."

"Even you," Reinette asked with a sad smile. "Reason tells me that I am unlikely to say any of you again. I shall attempt not to listen to reason."

The Doctor nodded slowly. "Take care, Reinette," was all he said before walking to the TARDIS doors, Mickey following him.

Reinette once again put her hand on Rose's shoulder to stop her. "When you rode into the ballroom," she asked. "Did you know you'd be trapped here?"

Rose shook her head. "Maybe…I don't know."

"Did the Doctor know?"

Rose pursed her lips for a moment. "Yeah, I think so, but he had no idea what I was going to do."

Reinette looked the TARDIS up and down in awe and appreciation. "He appeared in my bedchamber, in a blue box, just like magic," she said. "It sounded as though he made a risk in doing so?" Rose shrugged, a brow raised in question as to where she was going with this.

All Rose got was a friendly smile. "As I've said before, you will forever have my thanks. You, the Doctor, and your friend are always welcome. I have to go now." She proceeded to walk out of her bedchamber as Rose opened the front door of the TARDIS. "As do you," Rose heard Reinette say as she started closing the door. "The Doctor will be missing his angel."

* * *

The Doctor leaned over the console. Time could've unraveled today, and it would've been all his fault. He now understood what Sarah Jane meant by 'a blessing or a curse'. His link to Rose had prevented him from saving Madame de Pompadour.

He knew that, by breaking the mirror, he would've been trapped on the other side. The moment he had realized that, almost his whole body froze, making it so that he couldn't move. Not that he wanted to leave Rose anyway, but as a Time Lord he had a job to do.

And at the time, he was able-bodied, but still physically incapable of doing so. Only after Rose had crashed through the time window and trapped herself in France was the Doctor able to move, as if he had never been immobile in the first place. He was even further motivated into action when he felt pain in his ankle that certainly wasn't his own.

Rose had saved countless timelines in doing what she did. And it was one of the most terrifying moments he'd ever experienced in all his years.

As the front door creaked open, his connection to Rose gave a warm hum, making him also hum outwardly. She was home and safe, and that was all that mattered.

Mickey meant to push casually off the railing, but had to grip it again as the Doctor sent them into the time vortex. "Was wondering what the holdup was," Mickey said. "Are you still feeling up for showing me around the TARDIS?"

"Yeah," she nodded slightly. "You sure you don't need some rest? It's been a long day."

"You're joking me, right," he laughed. "I'm still feeling the adrenaline."

Rose smirked. "Wait 'til it wears off, then you'll really wish you'd taken a kip."

"Hmm," he shrugged, then scowled. "I guess I should at least take a shower. I feel like that fire extinguisher rubbish is all over me. Meet you in front of my room?" After Rose's agreement, he left down a corridor.

Rose was about to take off for her own room to clean up when the Doctor asked her to sit down on the jump seat. "Really, Doctor, I'm fine," she tried as the Doctor rummaged through a trench coat pocket for some gauze. "It barely hurts." That was starting to become a lie. Now that her adrenaline was wearing off, she could feel the twinge in her ankle.

"Still, can't be too careful," he shrugged, rolling up the denim, exposing a cut that was about three inches long. "How did you get this anyway?"

"Don't know," she said, watching as he took care to wrap her ankle. "Might've been from all the glass."

The Doctor froze, and Rose suddenly felt the tension in the console room. Making a sniffing noise, the Doctor secured the bandage and said, "The gauze has antiseptic in it. Keep it on for a few hours." He turned away without another word.

"Doctor, what's wrong," she asked as she stood up.

"Why would something be wrong," he said emotionlessly as he fidgeted with the console. "Now, I believe you were going to show Mickey around the TARDIS? Celebrate another day saved?"

"I'd already planned to show him around. We talked about it while exploring the droids' ship."

"Right, while you were wandering off." He slammed a lever down and spun to face her. "Sorry, what was rule number one again?"

Rose rolled her eyes and groaned. "Oh, come on! Without Mickey and me, you wouldn't have known about the crew's body parts being used on the ship."

He rolled his eyes. "What about getting on that horse? Was that a part of the whole 'wandering off' plan?"

"No," she exclaimed. "That was a 'saving Madame de Pompadour' plan! One that you had already explained to us, but for some reason couldn't do. What happened to you?"

In only two strides, he was in her face. "That was one of the most reckless things you'd ever done! Do you have any idea horrifying it was to watch you go through that mirror?!"

"Not really," she snapped. "I was too busy trying to prevent a paradox."

The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose, looking down at her ankle. "If the glass had done more damage, if the droids had retaliated…Don't ever do this again, Rose!"

"What, but you can," Rose scoffed. "You've been off all day rubbing elbows with the French, leaving Mickey and me to fend for ourselves. Those droids were about to kill us, and you just came waltzing in drunk and giddy as if you'd snogged Madame de Pompadour herself-"

"I was faking drunk. You think I would've allowed them to do anything further? And besides, I didn't feel anything when she kissed me."

Rose blinked. "Sh-she actually kissed you."

"Yes," he said carefully. "But it felt really...numb when she did. It wasn't particularly enjoyable."

Rose tried to clear her thoughts of uncertainty and jealousy. "Ok," she started. "Is that why you couldn't go through the mirror? You didn't want to see Reinette or something?"

"No," he shook his head, swallowing. "She had nothing to do with that."

Rose crossed her arms. "Well, then, what was it? Because you're standing her lecturing me about doing something dangerous, when you could've done it yourself, but you didn't."

"I told you," he said through gritted teeth.

"What, that you can't," she exclaimed. "Can't what, Doctor?"

"I wasn't able to do it," the Doctor said, his voice raising as he spoke. "I tried, and I couldn't."

"Why? Just tell me what happened, Doctor."

"I can't!" His shout echoed off the walls of the console room. It had even drowned out the ever-present hum of the TARDIS.

Rose took a slight step back from their close proximity. "You can't tell me," Rose whispered. "That's it, then?" She turned away. "You're angry at me for going through the mirror myself, but you won't even tell me what stopped you. Glad to see you trust me."

The Doctor grabbed her arm before she could walk away. "Don't talk like that," he said firmly. "You know how much I trust you."

"Really?"

"Yes." He gently spun her so she faced him again, locking her gaze with his own. "This isn't about trust. This is about-" He closed his eyes for only a brief second. "I can't tell you just yet."

Rose waited a few moments, but when she realized he wasn't going to say anything else, she said, "But you can't even tell me why you can't tell me." The Doctor sighed, shook his head, and stared down at the grating. Given how gentle the Doctor always was with her, it took no effort to pull out of his grip. "Good night, Doctor."

The Doctor didn't look up until her footsteps completely receded. Once again, the Doctor leaned all of his weight against the console, and the time rotor gave a sympathetic moan. He felt a push against his telepathic centers.

"I know, I know," he murmured to the console.

The Doctor straightened up. He gave one last look at the scanners to make sure all of the time windows were properly sealed. Then, he left the console room and made his way down the halls. He walked past his bedroom to the door next to it.

It was time to do some reading.


	10. Rise of the Cybermen & The Age of Steel

Chapter 10 - Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel

Slowly, the Doctor gathered each book and returned them to their proper place, a small corner of a shelf at the end of all of his other Gallifreyan books. There were only five books about imprinting, and none of them specialized on the subject. Anything on it was either a small section, a footnote, or a thin, inconsequential chapter.

He flicked the switch on the lamp to turn it off, and faced the door. He buried his fingers through his hair, more nervous than he cared to admit. What Rose Tyler didn't need right now was a skittish Time Lord. No, he needed to be confident and inform her of the new information that he now had, to be able to reassure her of his odd behavior that she had noticed. He snorted. She probably noticed all of this from the start of his regeneration, observant and nosy as she was. She would have questions the more they talked, and as much as he wanted to answer all of them, the books left much to be desired in terms of detail.

"Right," the Doctor said to himself with a slight nod. Squaring his shoulders in an attempt at collectedness, he exited the library, the TARDIS shutting off the rest of the lights as he went. Once he talked to Rose they could go back to the library together, to reopen the books for her sake, and to make sure he didn't miss anything.

As the Doctor rounded a corridor, laughter filtered through the halls. He could hear Mickey, but, of course, Rose's laughter was the clearest. So clear that it soothed his buzzing brain and the uncertainty in his chest. At the sound of her voice, his shoulders dropped a little, his posture gradually relaxing while he walked.

The TARDIS had him navigate to the console room, where Mickey was leaning up against the console and Rose was sitting in the jump seat. Mickey asked her something. Rose gave a reply, then giggled. At Mickey's raised eyebrow, Rose had probably made an inside joke, but the Doctor wasn't paying much attention to their conversation. He was just glad to hear and feel Rose's happiness. She had made herself scarce since the argument about the mirror, seventeen-and-a-half hours ago.

Even though they were all still in the TARDIS during that time, he'd still missed her. Rose's emotions had been so tumultuous, making him take longer with the reading than it should have. At some point, with almost painful effort, he had to tune her out to concentrate. Every time he paused his reading, the link would involuntarily reach out for her, desperate to feel her emotions and presence. But he had to continue ignoring it, had to continue reading. It would do neither of them any good to stop in the middle of his research, and Rose probably wouldn't have been up for seeing him just yet.

Now, she was in the console room. Despite her laughter, the Doctor knew that Rose hadn't forgotten their argument. All he needed to do now was talk to her, but Mickey was still standing there.

The Doctor sprinted up to the console. "Hope you're not making fun of me," he said. "All that giggling and smirking, I'd have thought you'd be talking to Sarah Jane, not Mickey."

"What, am I not allowed to smile, either," Mickey scoffed. He turned back to Rose. "I'm not allowed to do anything 'round here. Can't even explore this ship, and I might as well live here at this point."

The Doctor gave the ceiling a mischievous grin. He had asked the TARDIS to lock and block off most of the rooms when Mickey did some exploring without him or Rose. The Doctor certainly didn't want the idiot accidentally sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

"You don't live here. You-" He pointed to Mickey. "are just a passenger. And we-" He pointed to himself and Rose. "are your tour guides." He paused to look at Rose again. "Rose…I was wondering if we might talk about something."

"Actually," she said, leaning back. "Mickey said he was ready to go somewhere else."

"Yeah, that's fine." The Doctor crossed his arms. "But before we do that, can we-"

"Doctor," she interrupted, slowly shaking her head. "Not now, just…not now."

"Rose, this isn't about what happened…" He glanced irately at Mickey, not really wanting to talk about anything in front of him. "…after France. I mean, it's sort of about that. And by sort of, I mean-"

The TARDIS gave a small jostle, and the Doctor thought he saw the lights blink around them. "What's this, then," he asked aloud as he began circling the console. He might have to wait to talk to Rose after all. "What'd you do that for," he said to the time rotor while giving the console an affectionate stroke.

"Is there something wrong with her," Rose asked, standing up, but not moving away from the jump seat.

"Could be nothing, could be something," the Doctor shrugged. "The time vortex is full of energy. Maybe something just caused a bit of turbulence." After glancing at the monitors, he resumed his circling, flipping some levers as he went. "Whatever it was, it only lasted for that short second. Still, couldn't hurt to activate some old stabilizers I haven't used."

"Is that why we almost break our necks every time we land," Rose chuckled.

"Cheeky, and no," the Doctor said with a grin. He paused when he saw Rose slump back onto the jump seat. "Everything all right?" As he asked this, he probed his connection to her, searching for any abnormalities, but the link was silent.

"I'm fine," she said after seeing his look of worry. "Just…didn't get much sleep last night." After she said that, she avoided his eyes.

The Doctor looked down at the lever he was holding, and then he pushed it and moved on to the next one. Clearly, she wasn't ready to do any talking at all yet. And now the TARDIS seemed to be acting up. What was he to do?

"Is there anything I can do," Mickey asked, coming up beside him.

The Doctor shook his head. "Not really. Bit complicated. Leave it to me."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't mind him, Mickey. He's only _just_ started to let me help with the console." At Mickey's disappointed half-smile, she turned back towards the Doctor. "Isn't there anything he could do? He's always been good with computers. Maybe he could do something with the monitors?"

Mickey nodded hopefully. "Whatever you need me to do, boss."

The protest died on the Doctor's lips when he made eye contact with Rose. Blimey, those hazel orbs were gorgeous. He flexed his jaw before setting back to his task. "Well, come to think of it, there's a button near the monitors that needs to be held down."

Mickey dashed to where he was indicating. "This one?" At the Doctor's curt nod, Mickey pushed a finger down on the button and held it there. "Let me know when you want me to let go."

The Doctor pushed the last lever down. "All right, then," the Doctor said as he moved to sit down next to Rose. "That should do it for now. Give it a bit, and then we can go wherever. So, what were you ladies so tickled about earlier?"

Ignoring Mickey's grumble of annoyance, Rose said, "I was just telling him about some of the things we've seen."

They reminisced for a long while, smirking cleverly and teasing each other with each story. Well, they were Rose and the Doctor's stories. Mickey didn't have much to contribute to conversation since he hadn't seen what they saw. At times, Mickey even struggled to make sense of some of the things they said, especially the intricate names of planets and people. Still, he nodded and grinned every now and then, trying to stay in the loop.

"Oh," Rose gasped, smiling nostalgically. "Do you remember that one asteroid thing, where everything was, like, half the size of Earth?"

The Doctor's eyes lit up and he chuckled as he spoke. "And that weird munchkin lady with the big eyes? And then the way she looked at you! And then she opens her mouth and fire comes out!"

"I thought I was gonna get frazzled!" Rose shook her head with mirth, but the movement made the dizziness she'd been feeling more pronounced. She put her fingertips gingerly to her forehead.

"Yeah, one minute she's standing there, and the next minute-" The Doctor opened his mouth wide to roar dramatically.

"So, where was that, then," Mickey asked. "What happened?"

The Doctor's focus was now completely on Rose, who was standing up and rubbing her eyes. "Rose, what is it," he asked, pushing off the jump seat.

"It's nothing," she shook her head, holding her hand out to indicate that he didn't need to follow her. "I told you, I didn't sleep much. Just gonna get some tea, then I should be good."

"Actually," Mickey spoke up. "I could use some, too, please." He chuckled jokingly. "Who knew holding a button down could be thirsty work, eh?" Rose only nodded and slowly started to walk away.

"Hang on." The Doctor's eyebrows came together. "What are you doing that for," he asked, pointing to the button under Mickey's finger.

Mickey gave him an odd look. "Because you told me to."

"Ah," he nodded. "And when was that?"

"About half an hour ago," Mickey replied. The Doctor nodded more slowly, and told him to let go. "Wait, how long's it been since I could've stopped?"

The Doctor scratched his ear. "Ten minutes? Twenty minutes...Twenty-nine?"

Mickey went slack-jawed. "You just forgot about me!"

"No, no, no," the Doctor said, shaking his head rapidly. "I was just-just calibrating. I know exactly what I'm-" The Doctor was cut off by the sound of thudding on the grating. He spun around.

Rose's unconscious form was lying on the floor in front of the hallway entrance.

"Rose!" the Doctor shouted.

Neither him nor Mickey got a chance to run towards her before they were doused in a sea of sparks that sprayed from the console. The TARDIS hissed sharply and groaned, and the room began spinning and tumbling wildly, throwing her passengers against the floor and rails.

The Doctor only vaguely heard Mickey's cries over the distress of his ship, he was too focused on trying to locate Rose, but the room was still whirling and he couldn't make sense of anything. With every fiber of his being, he willed his subconscious to latch onto her presence so he could start to make his way to where she was. The link gave him nothing. It was so unresponsive that it seemed almost lifeless, and it made the Doctor feel dreadfully cold.

Not being able to do much else, the Doctor dragged himself to kneel against the console. Straining upright, he read the monitors, and he stopped breathing. Slamming his eyes shut, he clung to the console to brace himself, but it did no good as he was slammed back onto the floor as the TARDIS crashed.

Just like that, everything came to a halt. No more madness.

Still disoriented, the Doctor struggled to his feet, and stumbled to where Rose was laying. He dropped to his knees beside her. She didn't appear injured. In fact, she looked like she hadn't moved at all during the crash landing. He took her face in his hands and winced. She felt far too cold for his liking, and her skin had turned pale.

The Doctor shifted to let Rose's head rest on his thighs instead of the metal floor of the TARDIS. Normally, touch brought on a different clarity to his bond to her, but he still couldn't feel anything. The link was ever there and intact, but incredibly silent and listless. Swallowing roughly, he put his fingers to the side of her neck.

Mickey was up and about at this point, and was sprinting over to them on shaky legs. "What the hell just happened," he hollered.

"Not now, Mickey," the Doctor growled, unable to concentrate over the sound of Mickey's voice and heavy footfalls.

Mickey stopped beside them and crouched down. "But what was it? And what's going on with Rose?"

"Just shut up, damn it!"

Mickey's eyes widened and his mouth slowly parted, as if he were suddenly being yelled at by a stranger. The Doctor realized that while Rose had seen many sides of his personality, Mickey hadn't. He had known the Doctor to be fun-loving, courageous, and mad as a hatter. He had never seen him this upset or angry, almost as if he was losing control of something.

The Doctor blew out a puff of air and avoided eye contact with the other man. "Just stop…everything….for a minute."

The Doctor placed his fingers back on Rose's neck. She felt so cold, so limp, and it terrified the Doctor like nothing else. Everything in the darkening console room was absolutely still, and the Doctor could feel a tear threatening to spill.

Mickey jumped sharply when the Doctor suddenly laughed in relief. "She gonna be okay," Mickey asked hopefully.

The Doctor bent down and sighed against Rose's hair briefly before reaching into a pocket. "There's a pulse," he explained. "It's faint, very faint, but it's there. Same thing with her breathing." He took out the sonic and waved it over Rose. Mickey watched with interest. The Doctor always handled the sonic screwdriver with quick, practiced precision. However, as he used it to scan Rose, he was slow, methodical, and detailed.

As he waited for the Doctor to finish, Mickey looked around. The TARDIS's lights were beginning to fade, one after the other, and the ship itself was no longer humming. The console room was deathly silent.

"I've never seen your ship like this," Mickey said quietly, so as not to disturb the Doctor. He was surprised when he responded.

"That's because she's not _supposed_ to be like this," the Doctor murmured solemnly. "She's dead. The last TARDIS in the universe. Extinct."

"But how? What happened?"

"The time vortex disappeared. It's gone. And we fell."

Mickey looked at the TARDIS doors. "I wonder where we've landed?"

"We fell out of the vortex, through the void, into nothingness," the Doctor said, pausing every now and then to inspect the sonic. "We're in some sort of no-place. The silent realm. The lost dimension." The Doctor stopped, studied the sonic once more, and put it back in his pocket. "No injuries, and she's stable," he said. "For the most part. It's like she's in a deep sleep, but how?"

"Like a coma," Mickey asked.

He shook his head. "No, this feels…seems different."

The Doctor stroked his thumbs over Rose's cheeks. He paused to look around at the unsettling darkness of the console room, of his ship. The corner of his mind that was reserved for his connection to the TARDIS felt hollow. He inhaled to hold back a small sob and stood up, taking Rose in his arms as he did so.

"I need to get her to the med bay," the Doctor said. "Something in there is bound to help her." He took one more glance around before looking at Mickey. "Keep an eye on things in here. If anything changes, if you see anything weird, make note of it."

Mickey smiled. "You got it, boss."

With haste, the Doctor left the console room to go through the halls. He was disturbed to find there was only one hall. Given that the TARDIS had perished, she couldn't grant access to the rest of her infinite corridors. The console room, kitchen, a closet, the library, and their bedrooms were all that was left.

The Doctor huffed in frustration. Awkwardly shifting the arm that was supporting Rose's upper body, he felt for her pulse again. It was the same as before, no change whatsoever. He leaned his back against a wall and pondered. No med bay, no destination outside the TARDIS doors, no way of figuring out how to cure Rose, not to mention no way of figuring out what caused all of this.

With no other options, the Doctor opened the door to one of the most protected rooms in the TARDIS. Given the state of things, this room was now no more protected than any other room, but the Doctor still felt the instinctual need to take her inside. He placed her on the king-sized bed and tucked the thick blankets around her.

The Doctor joined her, sitting cross-legged on top of the blankets beside her. He buried his face in his hands and allowed only one tear to drip down his face. His TARDIS was dead, they were stranded somewhere unknown, Rose was unconscious, and he had no idea what the hell to do.

Before anymore tears of frustration and sadness could fall, the Doctor heard Mickey's voice. "Hey, Doctor! Where are you? You better come see this!"

The Doctor jumped off the bed. Before sprinting out the door, he kneeled to whisper in Rose's ear.

"I'll be back," he promised. "Whatever's going on, keep fighting it, don't give up. I've already lost the TARDIS, I can't lose you. I'll figure this out." Then, he remembered something, a sentence. A string of words from his home planet that he thought he'd never use. The Doctor moved to press his lips to her forehead, then spoke those ancient words against her skin. "_Ei mel ee. Ez ah valiz. Ei mel eez Prozast_."

Before pulling a way, he couldn't help but look at her lips. He considered placing another kiss there, but decided against it. He wanted Rose to be aware the first time he properly kissed her, to get her permission for such intimacy.

He stood up, took one more look at her, and left the room. When he closed the door behind him, he didn't hear the click of the lock.

He jogged to the console room to find Mickey. Upon entering it, his toe accidentally kicked something small. Bending down, he picked up Rose's phone and slid it into one of his pockets. He'd give it back to her when he checked on her again.

He felt a draft against his face. Running around the console, the Doctor saw that Mickey was sticking his head out the door. "Did you not hear what I said earlier," the Doctor groaned, moving to stand behind Mickey. "We fell out of the void. We could be anywhere. Who knows how dangerous it is out there?"

"Look, no offense, mate," Mickey said with an arrogant grin. "But I'm pretty certain I know how to navigate London." Snickering at the Doctor's look of astonishment, Mickey walked outside. Reluctantly, the Doctor picked up his coat, which had fallen off a coral strut during the ordeal, and put it on. With one last look in the direction of the hallway, he followed Mickey.

They had landed on a pier next to the Thames. The Doctor inhaled the breeze, and hummed thoughtfully. Something wasn't right.

"London, England, Earth." Mickey gazed around assuredly. "Hold on," he said, taking a newspaper from a bin. "First of February this year. Not exactly far-flung, is it?"

"So this is London." The Doctor looked out over the water, then to the buildings, then to the sky.

"Yep."

"Just as we left it?"

"Bang on."

The Doctor's face went stoic. "And that includes the zeppelins?"

Upon further inspection, Mickey finally saw all of the zeppelins that dominated the skies over London. "Okay," Mickey shrugged, trying to bring about some logic. "So it's London with a big international zeppelin festival."

The Doctor shook his head stiffly. "This is not your world."

Mickey looked back down at the paper, and then back up at the sky. "But the date's the same. Wait, it's parallel, right? Am I right? Like a parallel Earth where they've got zeppelins? Right?"

"Must be," the Doctor muttered. Sighing through his teeth, he took his time to pace around.

They were in a parallel world. Somehow. Now what? They could explore, sure, but it was highly doubtful there was anything in _any_ universe that could get them back to _their_ universe. He supposed he could wander around and search for something that might help Rose, but he didn't even know why she was in such a state. He only knew that she was stable, but not looking close to waking up.

"A parallel world where he still exists," he heard Mickey say. When he saw what Mickey was looking at, he groaned heavily.

Next to the pier stood an advert for a drink called 'Vitex Lite', and an unmistakable image of Pete Tyler was holding up said drink. "_Trust me on this_," said the audio recording of Pete as the picture moved to show him holding a thumbs-up.

"Look at that," Mickey said with a slight grin. "He's a success. Jackie always told me about all of his schemes and designs for healthy stuff. Apparently, everyone thought they were useless. But here, he's done it. God, Rose would love to see this." Thank Rassilon Rose wasn't here to see this. No good could come of it. "If Rose's dad's alive here," Mickey said, his voice low, but hopeful. "Then, maybe-"

"No," the Doctor said firmly. "This isn't Rose's Pete, this _a_ Pete. For all we know, he's got his own Jackie, his own Rose. We shouldn't even be here. This isn't our world. Come on." The Doctor walked past him back to the TARDIS. Mickey cast a lingering look down a familiar main road before following.

"So, what's the plan," Mickey asked as the Doctor circled the console. "You gonna try and get her working?" The Doctor made a growling noise and kicked the side of the console. "Did that help?"

"Yes," the Doctor huffed through gritted teeth.

"Did it hurt?"

"Yes," he repeated. With a pained moan, he fell onto the jump seat to rub his foot. Mickey sat down on the space beside him. "We're not meant to be here. The TARDIS draws its power from the universe. It's like diesel in a petrol engine."

"But I've seen it in comics," Mickey said. "People go hopping from one alternative world to another. Easy."

"Not in the real world. It used to be easy. When the Time Lords kept their eye on everything, you could hop between realities, and be home in time for tea." He sighed. "Then they died, and took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed. Everything became that bit less kind."

"Then, how did we get here," Mickey asked. "Was it because of the button thing?"

"No. This is all an accident, should've been impossible. Now we're trapped."

After a moment, Mickey spoke again. "And you can't figure out what's wrong with Rose, can you?" The Doctor opened his mouth, but Mickey quickly continued. "'Cause I've never seen you so agitated before, so…not talkative."

The Doctor merely shrugged at this. Then, he stood up. "I'm gonna go check on her. See if there's any change." He stopped when he saw something flash beneath the grating. "What's that?" He crouched down as Mickey also took a closer look. "Is that a reflection?" The Doctor looked up to make sure the TARDIS doors were closed. "No, it's a light! I think that's a light! That's all we need. We've got power, Mickey!"

Laughing exuberantly, he pulled out a section of the grating and jumped down to a lower level to get closer. From above, Mickey helped pull handfuls of wires out of his way. "What is it?"

"It's nothing. It's tiny. One of those insignificant little power cells that no one ever bothers about," the Doctor explained as he delicately pried the cell off its mount. "And it's clinging onto life, with one little ounce of reality tucked away inside." He only paused when he heard Rose's phone beeping in his pocket. Without looking at it, the Doctor tossed the phone up to Mickey. "Here, see what that's all about." He prayed to whatever gods existed that it wasn't Jackie trying to call.

"Is it enough power to get us home," Mickey asked as he hit a couple buttons on the phone.

"Not yet," the Doctor said, his head popping up out of the grating gap, holding a small green capsule of light. "I need to charge it up."

"We could go outside and lash it up to the National Grid," Mickey mused.

"Wrong sort of energy. It's got to come from our universe." He held the power cell up to his face and blew a long puff of air at it. The light brightened, illuminating the wide smile on the Doctor's face. "I just gave away ten years of my life," he said with zero remorse. "Worth every second."

The cell started to blink slowly. "It's going out," Mickey observed, looking away from the phone, but not putting it away. "Is that okay?"

The Doctor nodded. "It's on a recharging cycle." He repositioned all the wires they had moved, jumped up and out, and put the grating section back into place. "It'll power back up and be ready to take us home in, oh, twenty-four hours. I'm hoping the med bay will be accessible by that time, too." He pocketed the power cell.

"So you really have no idea what's going on with Rose, do you," Mickey asked, but he didn't wait for an answer. "Is there anything we can do?"

The Doctor closed his eyes and shook his head. "Without the med bay-"

"But we're in a different universe," Mickey said, moving to the TARDIS doors. "And you just said we have twenty-four hours. Plenty of time to look for something that might work."

The Doctor grimaced, bolting to his feet. "And you just said different universe. Whatever we find in this universe, we can't guarantee it would work on Rose."

Mickey opened the door. "It's better than sitting around here doing nothing." He walked out.

The Doctor gritted his teeth and ran after him. "We wouldn't even know where to start," he said. He ran up beside him when Mickey stopped to look at Rose's phone. "We know nothing about this world."

"We could always use this," Mickey said, showing him the phone. "It's called Cybus Network." He started to arrow through some options. "It gave her phone internet access. We could us it like Google. I wonder if it did the same to mine?" He passed the phone to the Doctor to take out his own. "I already looked to see if a Rose Tyler exists in this world." Mickey saw the Doctor raise his eyebrow at him. "Well, I don't know," Mickey said defensively. "She might've been able to help us or something. Besides, it doesn't matter. There's no Rose Tyler in this universe."

The Doctor frowned as he scrolled through the search history. In the short time Mickey had the phone he'd looked up Rose Tyler, an elderly lady by the name of Rita-Anne Smith, and Peter and Jackie Tyler. He clapped the phone shut.

Mickey did the same. "I've got nothing," he grimaced. "The search engine is giving me everything from seizures, to comas, to forms of cancers that I think only exist here. Looks like we'll have to wait for the med bay after all." He looked at the Doctor. "Do you think she'll be okay?" The Doctor looked out over the pier, saying nothing. Mickey exhaled and put his phone back in his pocket. "Still couldn't hurt to have a look around," he said, once again staring down a main road.

"Oh, yes, it could," the Doctor grumbled. That's when he noticed Mickey walking away. "Where're you going?!"

"I just told you. I'm gonna go have a look around."

"What? For twenty-four hours?!"

Mickey rolled his eyes. "Oh, suddenly you care about what I'm doing? You usually ignore me most of the time."

He rolled his eyes, too. "Mickey, get back here!"

For dramatic effect, Mickey donned a thoughtful expression. "Nah, I've things to see and all."

The Doctor blinked incredulously. "Like what?"

"You don't know anything about me, do you," Mickey yelled. "It's always about Rose. I'm just a spare part." Without waiting for a response, Mickey turned down another street out of sight.

With a snarl, the Doctor whipped out Rose's phone, ready to call Mickey and give him even more of a piece of his mind, but he stopped himself. The Doctor hated to admit it, but he was being a little irrational. They did have a buffer time of twenty-four hours. If Mickey wanted to go traipsing about this London, then who was he to stop him.

The Doctor put the phone back in a pocket and spun around to walk back to the TARDIS. The Doctor hadn't been in a parallel world for many years, but he didn't have a reason to explore, especially with Rose being unable to join him. His plan was to keep an eye on Rose, on the power cell, and do frequent checks for the med bay.

That was no longer the plan when the Doctor found that the doors were shut tight, keeping him outside. He got out his key, but it wouldn't budge in the lock. The Doctor tilted his head curiously. His ship only ever locked him out when she was cross with him. He rarely ever had to use his own key, but even rarer did the key never work for him.

On the one hand, this was good. The fact that the TARDIS had locked her own doors further confirmed that she was going to be okay. On the other hand, it meant he couldn't get to Rose.

The Doctor stroked one of the doors. "Come on, old girl," he coaxed. "I can't take care of our Rose from out here."

The Doctor closed his eyes, trying to communicate telepathically. There was no longer a large hollow in his mind, but the TARDIS was also not awake. And she shouldn't be, as she needed time to recuperate. Perhaps she locked her doors as a defense mechanism while the power cell recharged.

Keeping his eyes closed, he reached out for Rose. The link was a little more relaxed, as if she were just asleep now, which was encouraging, but also infuriating given that the TARDIS wouldn't let him go to her.

The Doctor turned and leaned his back against the doors. He had only just found and revived the power cell. Perhaps he should wait a while before trying the doors again. While he waited, his restlessness and curiosity got the better of him and he once again took out the phone.

Apparently, Jackie and Pete were two of the richest people in London due to Vitex. Even more interesting that Cybus Industries owned almost every company in Britain, including Vitex. No wonder Pete became so successful. 'Cybus'…Why did that word sound so familiar.

The Doctor's finger hovered over the button that would give him the address to the Tyler household. He reached behind him and jiggled the door. Still locked. He looked back at the phone's screen, and pushed the button, telling him where they lived. Because something didn't feel right, something that felt worthy of investigating.

The Doctor turned, and placed his hands on the door. "I think Rose is rubbing off on me, old girl," he said with a small chuckle. He cleared his throat. "Promise me you'll keep her safe?"

He didn't expect an answer, but was delighted when he felt a weak nudge against his mind. He smiled at his ship, patted one of the doors, and jogged down the street, in the opposite direction of where Mickey went.

The Doctor didn't know whether it was truly worth investigating or not, but the TARDIS refused to open her doors and he didn't think they were going to open anytime soon. So, he asked himself, 'What would Rose Tyler do?' The answer was simple.

Wander off and have an adventure.


	11. A Bit in Between

_* You guys are amazing! Thank you for all the reviews and kudos. I hope you understand, but updating this will be slow as I'm currently more involved with The Walking Dead fandom. But I will do my best to update this._

Chapter 11 - A Bit in Between

Rose felt a relaxing breeze guide her back into reality. However, when she opened her eyes, she wasn't sure if that was precisely where she was. She rubbed her face, and when she got her focus back she saw that she was definitely no longer in the TARDIS. She was lying under the shade of a tree with brilliant silver leaves. At her sides were snowy mountain ranges. And around her, fiery red grass danced with the light wind.

She was sitting up at this point, but the breeze and the way the grass felt beneath her was so lovely. So, she lied back down. She inhaled deeply, paused, then inhaled again. She could smell a hint of tea, metal, and old books. The familiar combination instantly made her feel at ease. Involuntarily, her eyes slid shut in contentment and she contemplated why she was there, and where the TARDIS was.

"_You never left, my Wolf_," a voice sang in her head.

Rose's eyes snapped open and she bolted upright, looking around. She was only confused for a moment when she realized the voice's tone came with a familiar hum that sounded like the universe. "TARDIS?"

Rose felt her mind be nudged in affirmation. "_You are resting in one of my rooms. You're dreaming._"

Rose nodded. "So, I'm not actually…here, then." She paused. "This is Gallifrey, isn't it?" Throughout their travels, Rose got the Doctor to speak more and more about his home. He was very detailed when he told her about the landscape.

"_Yes and no. You are seeing a room that I have already created. This isn't the exact room, but you were about to have a nightmare, so I thought I'd show you this_." She paused. "_This is one of the Doctor's favorite rooms. It soothes him_."

Rose tilted her head. "So…I'm in one of your rooms…while dreaming about one of your rooms? Is that it?"

"_Yes. It will be up to the Doctor to physically show you this room. This is a very personal place for him._"

Another strong breeze whipped her hair. She hummed happily. "Is that why it smells like him here?"

Rose thought she heard the TARDIS chuckle. "_Not quite. You'll understand once you wake up._"

"Can you tell me what happened? Why am I asleep?"

"_We are not asleep, not yet. Rather, we are in a form of limbo, which we should be leaving soon._" The TARDIS paused. "_We almost died_."

Rose paled. "We?! Where are they? The Doctor, Mickey-"

"_You needn't worry,_" the TARDIS interrupted gently. "_They're fine. And because of your Doctor's stubborn attitude and quick thinking, so will us._"

"You said 'we'."

"_You and I. We all fell through a crack in time and space. It depleted almost all of my power. The Doctor replenished that power. And now you and I are resting._"

"How come I was affected," Rose asked.

The TARDIS gave a contemplative hum before speaking again. "_How much do you remember when you became the Bad Wolf?_"

Rose scratched her head. "Not much, bits and pieces-" A gasp yanked from her throat when images began flooding her mind.

_A truck. The entirety of the universe before her eyes and at her fingertips. Daleks vanishing. Her friend coming back to life. Burning, so much burning. Feeling the lips of the man she loved. No more burning._

Rose had put her hands over her mouth and tears tumbled down her cheeks. She tried to talk, but it only came out as a strangled sob. "_My Wolf, you must breathe,_" the TARDIS scolded quickly. Rose began forcing air into her lungs. "_The feeling of regaining memories is overwhelming, but this is just the beginning. You must figure out how to handle such circumstances, or at least tolerate it._"

Rose's head was swimming, with the recent memories and with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"_You are able to sense and do things that any human would never be able to do. I will wait until you are composed. Now is a good time to tell you what you need to know. It'll be up to you whether you wish to share with your Doctor_."

* * *

It was late into the night at the pier. The Doctor walked up a stone path, power cell in hand, and his friends following some ways behind him. He placed his hand gently on the door. "How're we doing? Feeling better?" He grinned when the TARDIS gave a hum that was much stronger than hours previously. "And…Rose?" This time, the TARDIS pressed against his mind, not only to calm him, but to tell him that she had been looking after her Wolf.

The Doctor exhaled and placed his forehead against the door in relief. His mind hadn't been on the adventure whatsoever, but on Rose and how worried he was. Now that the TARDIS had more energy, perhaps she would let them inside now. The day's heartache and exhaustion were catching up to him, and he wanted nothing more than to launch into the time vortex and take care of Rose.

Before the Doctor reached for the door handle, it creaked open on its own, invitingly. The Doctor's smile almost reached his ears at that point. Running up the ramp, he placed the cell back onto the console. With a warm glow, the lights began turning on one by one.

The hollow in his mind filled completely with his connection to the TARDIS. At the same time, he felt for his connection to Rose, and was startled when he found the link to still be neutral and unmoving. With a tinge of panic in his chest, he jogged to reunite with Rose. When he entered the room, the TARDIS was already trying to placate him, tried to convey that she was simply resting.

The Doctor only believed his ship when he sat down beside Rose. The color had returned to her skin, her temperature felt normal as he held one of her hands, and her eyes were moving beneath their lids as she dreamed. He chuckled breathlessly as he squeezed her other hand. The physical contact made the connection feel warm, bringing it slowly back to life.

Grinning like a lunatic, the Doctor bent down to press a kiss against her temple. He didn't realize he was doing it, but he had shifted to nuzzle his forehead against her's. He sighed happily. The link thrummed like a melody, telling him she was having a good dream.

He stopped, leaned back, and put his fingertips to his forehead. One of the books said that action would be involuntary, but he had no idea how much he craved it. He shook his head to collect himself.

A knock sounded at the door. "Can I come in," came Mickey's voice.

The Doctor flexed his jaw. After adjusting the blankets more comfortably around her, he stepped out into the hallway to join Mickey, closing the door behind him.

"How is she," Mickey asked.

"Much better now," the Doctor said, leaning against the door. The Doctor tried to convince himself that it was a casual move, but he knew that wasn't the reason. "Hopefully, she'll wake up soon."

Mickey raised an eyebrow. "So she fainted right before the TARDIS crashed. And she's starting to feel better now that the TARDIS has recovered."

The Doctor hummed thoughtfully. "I've been thinking about that, too."

Mickey pursed his lips. "Can I see her?"

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, probably not the best idea right n-"

"It's just," Mickey interrupted. "Well…I at least want to say good bye to her."

The Doctor froze. "What are you on about?"

"Well, think about it. It sort of balances out. This world lost its Ricky, but there's me. And there's work to be done with all those Cybermen still out there." At the Doctor's silence, he continued. "'Cause I'm not the tin dog. I'm not Mickey the Idiot. Being here-"

"I know," the Doctor said flatly.

"And my gran's here. She needs me, and I need her."

"I know," he repeated with a nod. He tapped the door. "But she's your friend. She needs you, too."

Mickey shook his head with a sad smile. "She doesn't need me. She's got you." When the Doctor didn't respond to this, Mickey looked at the door he was leaning against.

Understanding what Mickey still wanted to do, the Doctor sighed. He didn't want to move away from the door. Not only was he protective of that room, but he was also protective of its current occupant. Mickey, of course, was no threat to her. However, his instincts were trying to override his logic, doing their damnedest to tell him to keep Rose safe from someone that wasn't going to harm her.

Mickey wasn't even doing any intruding. He only wanted to say goodbye to his friend. With a stiff nod, the Doctor forced himself to stop blocking the door. Mickey thanked him and walked inside while the Doctor watched from the doorway.

"Blimey," Mickey breathed, looking around the large room. "How come my room doesn't look like this? Uh, didn't, I mean."

The Doctor chuckled under his breath. "The TARDIS has a tendency to keep unoccupied rooms. I doubt she'll get rid of yours." He scratched an ear. "I'll give you some privacy. Close the door when you leave."

* * *

The Doctor was in the console room checking on the power cell when Mickey appeared. "Everything all right with it," Mickey asked hoarsely while swiping his fingers under his eyes.

"Yup," he responded lightly. "We've only got several minutes of power left. Have to be on our way before that time runs out." The Doctor walked down the ramp and opened the door. "Best get you on your way. Wouldn't want to keep your new boyfriend waiting."

Mickey rolled his eyes as he walked past, and the Doctor followed him out the door where Jake and Pete were waiting.

"So," Pete piped up, gesturing to the TARDIS. "What happens inside that thing, then?"

The Doctor crossed his arms. "Do you want to see?"

Pete shook his head cautiously. "No, I don't think so. You said your wife was ill. Is she in there? How is she?"

The Doctor ignored the shock and pure confusion on Mickey's face. "She is. And yeah, she's recovering. Hopefully getting her and the ship back to our world will help even more."

Pete tilted his head. "All that stuff you keep saying about different worlds…Who are you?"

"Imagine there are different worlds, parallel worlds. Worlds with another Pete Tyler and Jackie's still alive…and their daughter…" The Doctor knew he shouldn't be saying this much, but he had just been on one hell of an adventure with this man. And Pete had witnessed lives and loved ones be destroyed today. Maybe telling him would give him some form of hope or comfort knowing that a different universe did not experience the same fate his had.

The Doctor did not expect Pete's reaction. "I've got to go," he said quickly, face paling. "The Lumic factories, the Cybermen still in storage…" He turned and started walking away. "And I've got to tell the authorities, carry on the fight…"

The Doctor tried to keep his attention. "If you have any questions, anything you'd like to know about Jackie and Ro-"

"Don't," Pete ground out, not turning back to look at him. "Just don't." With that, he buried his face in his hands and walked down the path until he was out of sight.

Mickey cleared his throat. "We'll keep an eye on him," he said with a small smile. "It's what Rose would want. Here it is, by the way," he said, handing the Doctor his suit. "Not a crease."

"Good man," he exclaimed.

"And sorry, did he say 'wife'?"

"Did he, he must've been mistaken. Now, then, I've got to go," the Doctor said without taking a breath, not feeling the actual need to explain anything to him, but also running out of time. "Jake. Mrs. Moore, her real name was Angela Price. She's got a husband out there, and children. Find them. Tell them how she died saving the world." After Jake's promise, the Doctor turned back to Mickey. "Take Rose's phone." He handed him the device, which he pocketed instantly. "It's got the code. Get it out there, stop those factories."

Mickey nodded. "And what are you going to do?"

He nodded at the TARDIS. "Get us back into the time vortex, get Rose to the med bay, and then, once she's made a full recovery…"

"Keep on going," Mickey nodded. "Make sure to pilot the TARDIS our way every once and a while."

"We can't," the Doctor shook his head sadly. "I told you, travel between parallel worlds is impossible. We only got here by accident, through a crack in time. When we leave I've got to close it. We can't ever return."

Mickey closed his eyes briefly and crossed his arms. "I was hoping I'd be wrong about that." He paused. Then, he extended his hand.

"Good luck." The Doctor shook his hand firmly. "Mickey the Idiot," he said with a half grin and lightly smacked the side of his face in a friendly gesture.

"Watch it," Mickey chuckled.

The Doctor gave him one last nod goodbye before stepping into the console room and closing the door behind him. He tossed his coat over a coral strut, placed his suit on the jump seat, and started up the sequence to put them back into the vortex. As he circled the console, he took a little more time than usual. Quick enough to allow them to leave Pete's world before time ran out, but slow enough to savor every button, lever, and pedal he hit. He was grateful to the universe that his TARDIS was still alive and they were still able to continue on.

When they were in the vortex, he let out the breath he wasn't aware he was holding.

Patting the time rotor once, he collected his suit and took it with him to join Rose again. On his way, he saw that some of the hallways had reappeared. That meant he could finally get Rose to the med bay. He opened the door and hung his suit on a coat hanger near the night stand. He was about to scoop Rose into his arms when the TARDIS interrupted him.

"_She'll be fine, Time Lord._"

He scowled incredulously at the ceiling. "You should be resting!"

The TARDIS ignored that. "_Do not disorient her by moving her. Nothing in the med bay will help._"

The Doctor froze. "Why? What's wrong with her?"

"_It is as you said. She's recovering. She merely needs rest._"

He scowled again. "As do you. Why won't the med bay help?"

"_That's not for me to divulge._"

He groaned. "You said the same thing a while ago."

"_Just know that she will be alright. I had locked my doors to protect my Wolf and myself. But my Wolf still needs time. I will not allow us to leave the time vortex for that duration_."

He scoffed lightly, a grin forming. "And you say I'm overprotective of her. Thank you for keeping her safe."

The dim lights of the bedroom suddenly blinked rapidly. The TARDIS exited the telepathic conversation, and the Doctor was relieved when the lights went back to normal, telling him that the TARDIS was only knackered from the short conversation.

The Doctor placed himself more fully on the bed. He was delighted when Rose turned in her sleep to face his direction. She didn't scoot closer or open her eyes, but he was just thrilled to see more movement from her. Suddenly, Rose trembled. Given how thick the blankets were, the shiver probably had something to do with her dream. Nevertheless, he plucked his suit jacket from the hook and laid it over her.

Rose curled up a little, shifting the jacket closer to her face in the process. She inhaled, and made a wonderful sound that warmed his hearts so quickly it nearly took his breath away.

It was the sound of his name falling contentedly from her lips.


End file.
